| Affiliation: | 1. Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia (Dipartimento di Eccellenza 2018–2022), Università degli Studi di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy;2. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy;3. Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS UMR, 7504 Strasbourg, France;4. Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto, 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy;5. Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via A. Moro, 53100 Siena, Italy;6. Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia (Dipartimento di Eccellenza 2018–2022), Università degli Studi di Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy Chemistry Department, Bowling Green State University, 43403 Bowling Green, OH, USA) ok |
| Abstract: | HBDI-like chromophores represent a novel set of biomimetic switches mimicking the fluorophore of the green fluorescent protein that are currently studied with the hope to expand the molecular switch/motor toolbox. However, until now members capable of absorbing visible light in their neutral (i. e. non-anionic) form have not been reported. In this contribution we report the preparation of an HBDI-like chromophore based on a 3-phenylbenzofulvene scaffold capable of absorbing blue light and photoisomerizing on the picosecond timescale. More specifically, we show that double-bond photoisomerization occurs in both the E-to-Z and Z-to-E directions and that these can be controlled by irradiating with blue and UV light, respectively. Finally, as a preliminary applicative result, we report the incorporation of the chromophore in an amphiphilic molecule and demonstrate the formation of a visible-light-sensitive nanoaggregated state in water. |
