Guest-induced radical formation enables photothermal conversion in a hydrogen-bonded organic framework.

Reported here is the first hydrogen-bonded organic framework exhibiting guest-triggered photothermal activation through radical generation. Ammonia adsorption induces electron transfer and the formation of stable viologen radicals, leading to markedly enhanced near-infrared absorption and photothermal conversion. This work introduces host-guest chemistry as a new approach to regulate photothermal behavior in HOFs.