Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026
08:40
Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
Light switching of molecules on surfaces
Wesley R Browne1, Ben L Feringa
1Stratingh Institute for Chemistry and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands. w.r.browne@rug.nl
Annual Review of Physical Chemistry
|November 13, 2008
Summary
This review explores light-responsive smart surfaces for molecular switching. It highlights challenges and strategies for creating stable, reversible photoswitchable molecular systems on various surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Photochemistry
Background:
- Smart surfaces respond to external stimuli, offering potential for molecular-based devices.
- Light is a versatile trigger for switching surface states, alongside redox, pH, and ion triggers.
- Developing light-responsive surfaces involves overcoming challenges in photostationary states, reversibility, fatigue resistance, and immobilization effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review molecular switching on surfaces triggered by light.
- To discuss challenges in designing and synthesizing light-responsive molecules for immobilization.
- To present examples of photoswitchable molecular systems on various surfaces, including electroactive ones.
Main Methods:
- Focuses on molecular switching via electronic excitation of surface-bound molecules.
- Discusses design and synthesis of functional molecular components for light switching and surface anchoring.
- Examines photochemistry of immobilized systems under ambient conditions, particularly on electroactive surfaces.
Main Results:
- Demonstrates various photoswitchable molecular systems on surfaces.
- Highlights successful immobilization strategies for light-responsive molecules.
- Explores performance of these systems on self-assembled monolayers, bilayers, and polymer films.
Conclusions:
- Light-responsive smart surfaces are promising for molecular switching applications.
- Overcoming immobilization challenges is key to developing robust photoswitchable systems.
- Further research on these systems, especially on electroactive surfaces, is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Deactivation Processes: Jablonski Diagram
Luminescence, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed energy, is a process that involves the interaction of molecules with light. The energy-level diagram, or Jablonski diagram, is a graphical representation of these interactions, illustrating the various states and transitions a molecule can undergo. In a typical Jablonski diagram, the lowest horizontal line represents the ground-state energy of the molecule, which is usually a singlet state. This state represents the energies...
01:23Photoluminescence: Fluorescence and Phosphorescence
Photoluminescence is a process where a molecule absorbs light energy and re-emits it in the form of light. This phenomenon occurs when a substance absorbs photons, promoting its electrons to higher energy level excited states, followed by a relaxation process in which the electrons return to their original ground state energy levels and emit light. Photoluminescence is widely observed in various materials, including semiconductors, and organic and inorganic compounds.
A pair of electrons in a...
A pair of electrons in a...
01:26Variables Affecting Phosphorescence and Fluorescence
Fluorescence and phosphorescence are essential phenomena in fields like analytical chemistry, biological imaging, and materials science, where they detect molecular properties and visualize cellular structures. Understanding the variables that influence these luminescent behaviors is crucial for maximizing accuracy and efficiency in their applications. These variables can broadly be grouped into chemical structure, solvent properties, and external conditions, each playing a distinct role in...
01:14Molecular Spectroscopy: Absorption and Emission
Molecules possess discrete energy levels called quantum states. Unlike atoms, which have simpler energy levels, molecules possess additional rotational and vibrational energy levels. Each energy level is separated by an energy gap, with the gaps between adjacent electronic, vibrational, and rotational levels varying significantly. The three types of energy levels in a diatomic molecule are shown in Figure 1.
02:26Photoelectric Effect
When light of a particular wavelength strikes a metal surface, electrons are emitted. This is called the photoelectric effect. The minimum frequency of light that can cause such emission of electrons is called the threshold frequency, which is specific to the metal. Light with a frequency lower than the threshold frequency, even if it is of high intensity, cannot initiate the emission of electrons. However, when the frequency is higher than the threshold value, the number of electrons ejected...
01:16UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Molecular Electronic Transitions
In Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, the absorption of electromagnetic radiation is used to probe the electronic structure of molecules. This technique provides insights into molecular electronic transitions, particularly the movement of electrons between different molecular orbitals. Radiation is absorbed if the energy of the electromagnetic radiation passing through the molecule is precisely equal to the energy difference between the excited and ground states. During this process,...