Tethered molecules act as light-driven reversible nanoswitches

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Illustration of the light-activated switch made by the Paul Weiss lab at Penn State. A bridge within the azobenzene molecule made by two double-bonded nitrogen atoms each also bound to a benzene ring reconfigures when the molecule absorbs light. The ...
Illustration of the light-activated switch made by the Paul Weiss lab at Penn State. A bridge within the azobenzene molecule, made by two double-bonded nitrogen atoms, each also bound to a benzene ring, reconfigures when the molecule absorbs light. The two benzene rings move to the same side of the molecule (cis configuration) when exposed to ultraviolet light, and to opposite sides (trans configuration) when exposed to visible light. Credit: Paul Weiss lab, Penn State
Our ability to see is based on molecules in the eye that flip from one conformation to another when exposed to visible light. Now, a new technique for attaching light-sensitive organic molecules to metal surfaces allows the molecules to be switched between two different configurations in response to exposure to different wavelengths of light. Because the configuration changes are reversible and can be controlled without direct contact, this technique could enable applications that can be controlled at the molecular scale.


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