The formation of co-crystals by the assembly of molecules with complementary molecular recognition functionalities is a popular strategy to design or improve a range of solid-state properties, including those relevant for pharmaceuticals, photo- or thermoresponsive materials and organic electronics. Here, we report halogen-bonded co-crystals of a fluorinated azobenzene derivative with a volatile component—either dioxane or pyrazine—that can be cut, carved or engraved with low-power visible light. This cold photo-carving process is enabled by the co-crystallization of a light-absorbing azo dye with a volatile component, which gives rise to materials that can be selectively disassembled with micrometre precision using low-power, non-burning laser irradiation or a commercial confocal microscope. The ability to shape co-crystals in three dimensions using laser powers of 0.5–20 mW—substantially lower than those used for metals, ceramics or polymers—is rationalized by photo-carving that targets the disruption of weak supramolecular interactions, rather than the covalent bonds or ionic structures targeted by conventional laser beam or focused ion beam machining processes.

通过组装具有互补分子识别功能的分子形成共晶体是设计或改进一系列固态特性的流行策略，包括与药物、光敏或热敏材料和有机电子学相关的固态特性。在这里，我们报告了氟化偶氮苯衍生物与挥发性成分（二恶烷或吡嗪）的卤素键合共晶体，可以用低功率可见光切割、雕刻或雕刻。这种冷光刻工艺是通过吸光偶氮染料与挥发性成分的共结晶实现的，这使得材料可以使用低功率、非燃烧激光照射或商用共聚焦显微镜。