title: Electron and energy transfer modulation with photochromic switches.
abstract: This tutorial review illustrates how work on the reversible interconversion between the colorless and colored forms of photochromic compounds can be exploited to modulate electron and energy transfer processes. Indeed, a photochrome can be designed to accept electrons or energy from a complementary donor in one of its two states only. Alternatively, the photoinduced transformations associated with a photochromic switch can be engineered to control the relative orientation and distance of donor-acceptor pairs. If either the donor or the acceptor is fluorescent, the photoregulated transfer of energy or electrons results in the modulation of the emission intensity. Thus, these fascinating molecular and supramolecular systems can advance the basic understanding of electron and energy transfer processes, while leading to viable operating principles to control light with light.
authors.affiliation: Center for Supramolecular Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, 1301 Memorial Drive, FL 33146-0431, USA. fraymo@miami.edu
authors.forename: Francisco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Raymo
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomasulo
mesh_terms: D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000737:chemistry*; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D004583:Electrons; D004735:Energy Transfer; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010777:Photochemistry; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D004396:Coloring Agents; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds