A new strategy for high performance small molecule near-infrared (NIR-II) photoswitching has been developed. The strategy enables the design of photoswitching molecules that are stable, non-toxic, and small enough to penetrate into cells and tissues for use in optogenetics and other applications. The strategy uses a combination of two small molecules, called a phototrigger and a photo-switchable group, to enable switching between two different photochemical states. The phototrigger is a small molecule that absorbs energy from light and releases a proton transfer agent (PTA) that, in turn, triggers a photochemical reaction in the photo-switchable group. The PTA is then released from the photo-switchable group, resetting the molecule to its original state. This strategy allows for faster switching and higher efficiency than existing strategies. In addition, the small size of the molecules makes them suitable for use in optogenetics and other applications.

Read Full Article Here

source: Phys.org