Issue 15, 2024

Amplifying dual-visible-light photoswitching in aqueous media via confinement promoted triplet–triplet energy transfer

Abstract

Achieving visible-light photochromism is a long-term goal of chemists keen to exploit the opportunities of molecular photoswitches in multi-disciplinary research studies. Triplet-sensitization offers a flexible approach to building diverse visible-light photoswitches using existing photochromic scaffolds, circumventing the need for sophisticated molecular design and synthesis. Unfortunately, distance-dependence and environment-sensitivity of triplet-excited species remain as key challenges that severely impair sensitization efficiency and limit their practical availability. We present herein a nature-inspired nanoconfinement strategy in which a triplet-sensitized visible-light photoswitch/sensitizer system is assembled into nanoconfined micelles (d ∼ 40 nm). A ca. 10-fold efficiency increase of triplet–triplet energy transfer for photochromism as well as an amplified fluorescence on/off contrast upon bi-directional visible-light excitation (470/560 nm) was achieved in full aqueous media. By virtue of this, the hybrid photoswitchable system is successfully applied for both flash information encryption and multiple dynamic cell imaging assays, further proving its versatility in materials and life science.

Graphical abstract: Amplifying dual-visible-light photoswitching in aqueous media via confinement promoted triplet–triplet energy transfer

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
18 Jan 2024
Accepted
06 Mar 2024
First published
06 Mar 2024
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2024,15, 5539-5547

Amplifying dual-visible-light photoswitching in aqueous media via confinement promoted triplet–triplet energy transfer

W. Wang, W. Yang, Z. Zhang, J. Dai, Y. Xu and J. Zhang, Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 5539 DOI: 10.1039/D4SC00423J

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