The facile coupling of azobenzene dyes to the quadruply hydrogen-bonding modules 2,7-diamido-1,8-naphthyridine (DAN) and 7-deazaguanine urea (DeUG) is described. The coupling of azobenzene dye 2 to mono-amido DAN units 4, 7, and 9 was effected by classic 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP)-catalyzed peptide synthesis with N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethyl carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) as activ...

In recent years, supramolecular complexes comprising a poly(4-vinylpyridine) backbone and azobenzene-based halogen bond donors have emerged as a promising class of materials for the inscription of light-induced surface-relief gratings (SRGs). The studies up to date have focused on building supramolecular hierarchies, i.e., optimizing the polymer-azobenzene noncovalent interaction for efficient ...

We investigate the surface-catalyzed dissociation of the archetypal molecular switch azobenzene on the Cu(111) surface. Based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, normal incidence X-ray standing waves and density functional theory calculations a detailed picture of the coverage-induced formation of phenyl nitrene from azobenzene is presented. Furthermore, a comparison to the azobenzene/Ag(111) ...

We developed photochemically controlled photonic crystals which may be useful in novel recordable and erasable memories and/or display devices. Information is recorded and erased by exciting the photonic crystal with ∼360 nm UV light or ∼480 nm visible light. The information recorded is read out by measuring the photonic crystal diffraction wavelength. The active element of the device is an azo...

Exogenously expressed opsins are valuable tools for optogenetic control of neurons in circuits. A deeper understanding of neural function can be gained by bringing control to endogenous neurotransmitter receptors that mediate synaptic transmission. Here we introduce a comprehensive optogenetic toolkit for controlling GABA(A) receptor-mediated inhibition in the brain. We developed a series of ph...

Monomers of azobenzene were isolated in argon matrices at 15 K and characterized by infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. When the equilibrium vapors existing over the azobenzene crystals at room temperature were trapped in the matrix, only the thermodynamically most stable E-azobenzene was detected. In an attempt to convert E-azobenzene into the Z isomer, the matrix-isolated E-mo...

A series of azobenzene-functionalized poly(alkyl aryl ether) dendrimers have been synthesized and their photochemical and photophysical properties in solution and as thin films have been investigated. Although the photochemical behavior of the azodendrimers in solution indicated that the azobenzene units behave independently, very similar to the constituent monomer azobenzene unit, the properti...

We have observed reversible light-induced mechanical switching for individual organic molecules bound to a metal surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was used to image the features of individual azobenzene molecules on Au(111) before and after reversibly cycling their mechanical structure between trans and cis states using light. Azobenzene molecules were engineered to increase their su...

We have observed reversible light-induced mechanical switching for individual organic molecules bound to a metal surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was used to image the features of individual azobenzene molecules on Au(111) before and after reversibly cycling their mechanical structure between trans and cis states using light. Azobenzene molecules were engineered to increase their su...

Inspired by nature's ability to regulate catalysis using physiological stimuli, azobenzene was incorporated into Rh(bis)diphosphine CO2 hydrogenation catalysts to photoinitiate structural changes to modulate the resulting catalytic activity. The rhodium bound diphosphine ligands (P(Ph2)-CH2-N(R)-CH2-P(Ph2)) contain the terminal amine of a non-natural amino acid, with the R-group being either β-...