Light-controlled gas permeability of mesoporous silica glass bearing photochromic spironaphthoxazine on its surface.

N2 and CO2 gas permeability of mesoporous silica glass bearing photochromic indolinospironaphth[2,1-b][1,4]oxazine through a covalent linkage was controlled by photo-irradiation: the photo-isomerization of the spironaphthoxazine to the photomerocyanine form suppressed the gas permeation of the glass.