Colour polymorphism in molecular crystals
Colour polymorphism is an intriguing characteristic of chemical systems that entails the manifestation of crystal polymorphs in various hues. Within the realm of organic molecular crystals, this phenomenon remains relatively uncommon, with scant instances documented in literature thus far. However, the potential applications of systems displaying colour polymorphism span across diverse domains, including stimuli responsive pigments development, and sensors technology. Our endeavour involves the strategic design, synthesis, and detailed characterization of novel organic molecular crystals showcasing colour polymorphism. This research has been counting with the collaboration of scientists from the Polytechnical of Milan (Italy).
Photochromism, solvatochromism and thermochromism
Solvatochromism, photochromism, and thermo-chromism are fascinating phenomena in the realm of molecular chemistry, referring to the change in colour of a substance due to alterations in the solvent environment, reversible change of a material’s colour upon exposure to light, and changes of colour in response to fluctuations in temperature, respectively. These behaviours offer insights into molecular structure and electronic transitions. Solvatochromism finds applications in solvent polarity assessment and environmental sensing, while photochromic materials can be used in optical devices, such as photochromic lenses and light-sensitive switches, and thermochromic compounds are utilized in indicators for temperature monitoring and security inks. We have been investigating these phenomena in different chemical systems using different experimental and theoretical approaches, specifically UV/VIS absorption, fluorescence, infrared and Raman spectroscopies, together with quantum chemistry calculations. Part of these investigations received the contribution of scientists from the University of Bitlis (Turkey).