Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 9, 2025

Determination of the Photoisomerization Quantum Yield of a Hydrazone Photoswitch
Published on: February 7, 2022
Computational design of an improved photoswitchable psychedelic based on light absorption, membrane permeation and
Vito F Palmisano1,2,3, Claudio Agnorelli4, Shirin Faraji1
1Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. shirin.faraji@hhu.de.
Abstract:
Psychedelic compounds can induce rapid-acting and long-lasting antidepressant benefits. Understanding the role of their hallucinatory effects is crucial for shaping the future trajectory of antidepressant drug development. Photoswitchable compounds targeting the 5-HT2AR offer precise spatio-temporal control over the activation of different downstream pathways. In this work, we computationally discovered PQ-azo-N,N-DMT (34), a photoswitch with improved features compared to the previously synthesized azo-N,N-DMT (1). The new compound shows tight binding to the 5-HT2AR, retaining all important interactions of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), exhibits positive membrane permeability, and has a strong red-shifted absorption that would allow photocontrol in the visible spectrum.
More Related Videos
12:51A 'Plug and Play' Method to Create Water-dispersible Nanoassemblies Containing an Amphiphilic Polymer, Organic Dyes and Upconverting Nanoparticles
Published on: November 14, 2015
09:44Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds
Published on: October 15, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
CNS Stimulants: Psychedelic Agents
Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation