Photomechanical Structures Based on Porous Alumina Templates Filled with 9-Methylanthracene Nanowires

9-Methylanthracene (9MA) undergoes a concerted [4 + 4] photodimerization in its crystal form that can be harnessed in order to generate photomechanical motions such as bending, twisting, and expansion. As described in this paper, 9MA nanowires were grown in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates with the goal of using the crystal expansion to generate a net increase in the height of the composite disk. The growth conditions were optimized in order to raise the filling amount from 28% to 77% of the available volume in the porous AAO. A new experimental method for detecting motion, based on the analysis of data from a dynamically misaligned Michelson interferometer, was developed. Template bending was observed, showing that the photodimerization of the confined nanowires generated mechanical work, but no conclusive evidence for surface disruption or vertical translation was observed. Optical measurements, as well as atomic force and scanning electron microscopy, showed that incomplete filling, crystal orientation, and debris from template polishing likely prevented the observation of vertical actuation in these nanocrystal composites. This work highlights some of the practical challenges that are involved in creating photomechanical actuators using the organic–inorganic composite approach, with the two most significant being (1) the uniform filling of the porous template with the organic active material and (2) the removal of excess organic material from the template’s surface.