Light-fuelled transport of large dendrimers and proteins.
This work presents a facile water-based supramolecular approach for light-induced surface patterning. The method is based upon azobenzene-functionalized high-molecular weight triazine dendrimers up to generation 9, demonstrating that even very large globular supramolecular complexes can be made to move in response to light. We also demonstrate light-fuelled macroscopic movements in native biomolecules, showing that complexes of apoferritin protein and azobenzene can effectively form light-induced surface patterns. Fundamentally, the results establish that thin films comprising both flexible and rigid globular particles of large diameter can be moved with light, whereas the presented material concepts offer new possibilities for the yet marginally explored biological applications of azobenzene surface patterning.
Department of Applied Physics and §Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology, Aalto University , P.O. Box 15100, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland.
Jenni E
JE
Koskela
Ville
V
Liljeström
Jongdoo
J
Lim
Eric E
EE
Simanek
Robin H A
RH
Ras
Arri
A
Priimagi
Mauri A
MA
Kostiainen
D001052:Apoferritins / Q000737:chemistry*; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D009038:Motion; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D013499:Surface Properties; D014227:Triazines / Q000737:chemistry*
D001391:Azo Compounds; D050091:Dendrimers; D014227:Triazines; D001052:Apoferritins; C009850:azobenzene