This lecture will describe recent results on biohybrid systems containing azobenzene. The ubiquitous application of azobenzene in macromolecular systems continues unabated in the literature. Our group has focused on both fundamental physical-organic properties of substituted azobenzenes and photo-physical effects produced in biohybrids based on nucleotides and peptides. New mechanistic insights into azobenzene conformational dynamics will be described in the context of organic chormophores. Collaborative biohybrid work was performed collaboratively with researchers at Duke University on two specific project areas: 1) photocontrolled micellization of ssDNA-azobenzene conjugates, and 2) photocontrolled LCST behavior of elastin-like polypeptides. In both studies, our results further amplify the literature reports that connect molecular events like azobenzene photoisomerization to self-assembly and phase behavior of large macromolecules.

The enduring utility of azobenzene as a photocontrol unit in hybrid macromolecular systems

256th National Meeting (2018)

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