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Azobenzene: A Photoactive Building Block for Supramolecular Architectures
Author(s) -
Baroncini Massimo,
Bergamini Giacomo
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the chemical record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.61
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1528-0691
pISSN - 1527-8999
DOI - 10.1002/tcr.201600112
Subject(s) - azobenzene , photoisomerization , photochromism , supramolecular chemistry , nanotechnology , materials science , biomolecule , nanoscopic scale , block (permutation group theory) , computer science , chemistry , molecule , isomerization , organic chemistry , mathematics , catalysis , geometry
The development of nanoscale systems capable to perform specific functions under external control is a challenging task and a fascinating objective in Chemistry. Photochromic compounds undergo radical changes in their physico‐chemical properties upon light excitation, for this reason they are valuable building blocks for the construction of photo‐controllable molecular devices, machines and materials. The E–Z photoisomerization of azobenzene has been known for almost 80 years and – owing to its high efficiency and excellent reversibility – has been widely employed to introduce an element of photo‐control in a large variety of compounds, biomolecules, nanosystems and materials. Here we present some of our research results highlighting how this outstanding photochrome can be utilized to develop systems with light‐induced functionalities.