Hydrogen-Bonded Homochiral Molecular Crystals with Mechanical Elasticity and Photomechanical Bending

Molecular crystals with mechanical elasticity and photomechanicalbending based on the homochiral effect are presented. Through homochiralassembly, the V-shaped chiral cyanostilbenes form a hydrogen-bondedstair-like packing and further arrange into tile-window structures.These structures have enough free volume for molecular motions, promotingcrystal flexibility and photoresponses. Notably, the hydrogen bondsplay a dual function in the homochiral crystal. They enhance the resilienceof the crystal to improve elasticity and facilitate force transmissionfrom Z-E isomerization for crystal photobending.Our work broadens the application of the homochiral effect in regulatingdynamic crystal properties.