Abstract
The development of actuators based on materials that reversibly change shape and/or size in response to external stimuli has attracted interest once in a while. A particularly intriguing possibility is offered by light-responsive materials, which allow remote operation without the need for direct contact to the actuator. Here we show that molecular crystals based on diarylethene chromophores exhibit rapid and reversible macroscopic changes in shape and size induced by ultraviolet and visible light. The deformed crystals are thermally stable, and switch back to the original state on irradiation with visible light. The diarylethene crystals respond in about 25 microseconds in shape changes and they can move microscopic objects, making them promising materials for possible light-driven actuator applications.
