Disequilibrating azobenzenes by visible-light sensitization under confinement

Disequilibrating azobenzenes by visible-light sensitization under confinement

Description

The ability to photoswitch azobenzenes from their stable E isomer to the metastable Z state is the basis of numerous applications of these molecules. However, this reaction typically requires UV light, which limits the applicability, particularly in biological settings. Here we introduce DisEquilibration by Sensitization under Confinement (DESC), a biomimetic approach to switch various azobenzenes using visible light of desired color, including red. DESC relies on a combination of a macrocyclic host and a photosensitizer, which act together to bind and selectively sensitize E-azobenzenes. After switching to the Z isomer, the azobenzene loses its affinity to—and is expelled from—the host, which can convert additional copies of E into Z. In this way, the host/photosensitizer complex acts as a light-driven supramolecular machine, converting photon energy into chemical energy in the form of out-of-equilibrium photostationary states, including ones that cannot be accessed via direct photoexcitation.
Show more

Year of publication

2023

Authors

DRYAD - Publisher

Arri Priimagi - Creator

Nikita Durandin - Creator

Tero-Petri Ruoko - Creator

Unknown organization

Dan Oron - Creator

Igor Schapiro - Creator

Jonathan Church - Creator

Julius Gemen - Creator

Magdalena Odaybat - Creator

Maren Weißenfels - Creator

Matthew Fuchter - Creator

Michał Białek - Creator

Miri Kazes - Creator

Moran Feller - Creator

Rafal Klajn - Creator

Rishir Kalepu - Creator

Veniamin Borin - Creator

Yael Diskin-Posner - Creator

Other information

Fields of science

Materials engineering

Language

English

Open access

Open

License

Other

Keywords

Materials engineering
Disequilibrating azobenzenes by visible-light sensitization under confinement - Research.fi