Reversible Thermosalience at Near-Human Body Temperature: A Novel Photothermally Actuated Mechanically Compliant Cocrystal

Dynamic crystals, characterized by their rapid response speed, diverse response forms, and lightweight, have emerged as promising material platforms for developing next-generation adaptive devices. Herein, a thermosalient cocrystal is developed, which possesses both mechanical flexibility and reversible phase transition capability. Remarkably, the crystal exhibits thermosalient phenomenon in the near-human body temperature range, and its excellent flexibility ensures structural robustness throughout the phase transition process. The inherent photothermal conversion ability enables the crystal with light-controlled thermosalient behavior, ultimately leading to the realization of photothermally actuated. Through comprehensive analysis of single crystal structures, the molecular mechanism underlying the reversible thermosalience is elucidated. This study offers a viable strategy for designing thermosalient crystals and may facilitate their application in next-generation intelligent wearable devices.