Photochromic spiro[indoline-pyridobenzopyrans]: fluorescent metal ion sensors

Tuning photochromic ion channel blockers.

Photochromic channel blockers provide a conceptually simple and convenient way to modulate neuronal activity with light. We have recently described a family of azobenzenes that function as tonic blockers of K(v) channels but require UV-A light to unblock and need to be actively switched by toggling between two different wavelengths. We now introduce red-shifted compounds that fully operate in t...

Fluorescent Sensors for Measuring Metal Ions in Living Systems

A photochromic and thermochromic fluorescent protein

Photochromism is a change of colour induced by irradiation with light, while thermochromism is a change of colour due to a change of temperature. Both photochromism and thermochromism have been observed in inorganic and organic compounds, however thermochromism is much less common in biological systems. One mechanism by which molecular photochromism can occur is a photo-induced isomerization to...

A fluorescent photochromic compound for labeling biomolecules.

A fluorescent photochromic compound, composed of diarylethene, fluorescein and succinimidyl ester units, was developed for the controllable fluorescent labeling of biomolecules based on a small molecule.

Fluorescent and photochromic bifunctional molecular switch based on a stable crystalline metal-viologen complex.

An air-stable photoresponsive viologen molecular system is constructed based on a three-fold accordion interpenetrating packing arrangement. The fluorescent modulation process is coupled with a photochromic reaction via energy and electron transfer between the adjacent donor and acceptor groups.