Citation: Qing Shao, Ming Yang, Jie Wang, Tengda Wang, Bo Wang, Yaxun Fan, Yilin Wang. Ultrasound/light/pH interactive control over cycling reconfiguration of spiropyran surfactant bowl-shaped nano-assemblies[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(12): 112647. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.112647 shu

Ultrasound/light/pH interactive control over cycling reconfiguration of spiropyran surfactant bowl-shaped nano-assemblies

Qing Shao ^{a, d} ,
Ming Yang ^d ,
Jie Wang ^d ,
Tengda Wang ^{b, c} ,
Bo Wang ^d ,
Yaxun Fan ^{b, c} ,
Yilin Wang ^{b, c, d, *,}

a.
SINOPEC Research Institute of Petroleum Engineering Co., Ltd., Beijing 102206, China
b.
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
c.
State Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research, School of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou 215123, China
d.
CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

yilinwang@iccas.ac.cn

Received Date: 2 October 2025
Revised Date: 15 March 2026
Accepted Date: 19 March 2026
Available Online: 19 March 2026

Figures(8)

Control of surfactant self-assembly under multiple physical and chemical stimuli is critical in many applications. Although stimuli-responsive surfactants are no longer uncommon, surfactants with mechanical-responsive property are still in the nascent stage. Here, we report a triply responsive bowl-shaped nano-assembly of spiropyran surfactant capable of on-demand deformation to achieve controllable formation and reconfiguration. Under alternating ultrasonic/UV or pH/UV stimuli, the nano-bowl switching relies on the reversible conversion of the spiropyran moiety, from closed-ring isomer (SP-COOH) to mixed spiropyran isomers (SP/MC—COOH), and then to opened-ring isomer (MC—COOH). Accompanied with the change of the SP/MC—COOH ratio, various structures are captured, including irregular molecular nano-assemblies, spheroids, buckled inward spheroids, nano-bowls, and agglomerated nanoparticles. As far as we know, the reversible evolution process of nano-structures under multiple stimuli, particularly ultrasonic co-stimulation, is seldom to be seen. Such a triple-stimuli-responsive surfactant enriches the family of smart surfactants and provides new choices for constructing smart soft materials.
- Surfactants,
- Spiropyran,
- Ultrasound,
- Light,
- pH,
- Nano-bowls
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