title: Molecular switches as photocontrollable "smart" receptors.
abstract: This critical review focuses on the development of photochromic compounds as sensors for cations, anions, and biologically important molecules. The review commences with a brief description of photochromism and the strategies to exploit photochromic molecular switches' properties for sensing application. This is followed by a summary of photoswitchable receptors emerged to date and classified according to the photochromic structure they are based on. These include azobenzenes, fulgides, dithienylethenes, dihydroindolizines, chromenes and spiropyrans.
authors.affiliation: Trinity College Dublin, School of Chemistry, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Natali
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giordani