Photoinduced Color Change of Methylviologen in Polycyano-Polycadmate Host Clathrates

Abstract A series of polycyano-polycadmate host clathrates accommodating a methylviologen dication and an organic molecule has been prepared. Some of them showed a color change from white to blue under UV-VIS light, which comes from the reduction of the methylviologen dication to its monocation radical. This phenomenon depends on the species of the coexistent organic guest and the crystal structure of the clathrates.