Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Channel Rhodopsins01:11

Channel Rhodopsins

Most organisms use photoreceptors to sense and respond to light. Examples of photoreceptors include bacteriorhodopsins and bacteriophytochromes in some bacteria, phytochromes in plants, and rhodopsins in the photoreceptor cells of the vertebral retina. The light-sensitive property of these receptors is because of the bound chromophores, such as bilin in the phytochromes and retinal in the rhodopsins.
Rhodopsins belong to the family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Light-Programmable Morphology in Photothermal Polyurethanes Based on Stenhouse Salt as Photothermal Agent.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Testosterone, cortisol, and fNIRS-based cortical activation associated with competitive task persistence and difficulty.

Journal of neuroendocrinology·2026
Same author

Electric Double Layer Phenomena Near Surfaces Irreversibly Trigger Assembly of Tau Protein.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Synergizing Chemical and AI Communities for Advancing Laboratories of the Future.

ACS central science·2026
Same author

From Lipoic Acid to 1,2-Dithianes: Expanding Radical Ring-Opening to Less-Activated Monomers Such as Vinyl Acetate.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Surface Chemistry and Particle Morphology Govern the Multiscale Interactions and Properties of Silica-Polyelectrolyte-Stabilized Microcapsules.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2026
Same journal

Switching Site Selectivity in Alkoxyamine Hydration: From Lone-Pair Direction to Solvent Network Dominance.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

A Topotactic Leap: 2D Layers to 3D Large-Pore Zeolite.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution over Single-Atom Catalysts via Electrostatic Polarization in Contact-electro-catalysis.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Tumor Acidity-Activatable Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles for Selective Oncolytic Therapy.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Alternating Magnetic Field Promotes Ammonia Cracking by Disrupting the Sabatier Limitation of Ruthenium Catalytic Species.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Bulk Ferromagnetic Icosahedral Quasicrystals without Rapid Quenching.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

A 'Plug and Play' Method to Create Water-dispersible Nanoassemblies Containing an Amphiphilic Polymer, Organic Dyes and Upconverting Nanoparticles
12:51

A 'Plug and Play' Method to Create Water-dispersible Nanoassemblies Containing an Amphiphilic Polymer, Organic Dyes and Upconverting Nanoparticles

Published on: November 14, 2015

A Water-Soluble Diarylethene Base for Light-Controlled pH Modulation in Biological Systems.

Cassidy M Tobin1, Megan Schuerlein2, Rae Yee3

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 22, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a water-soluble molecular photoswitch that precisely controls pH using light. This novel diarylethene demonstrates dual photoacidic and photobasic behavior, enabling reversible pH modulation in aqueous systems.

More Related Videos

Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers
10:16

Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers

Published on: January 28, 2016

Dynamic Light-Induced Protein Patterns at Model Membranes
07:10

Dynamic Light-Induced Protein Patterns at Model Membranes

Published on: February 23, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

A 'Plug and Play' Method to Create Water-dispersible Nanoassemblies Containing an Amphiphilic Polymer, Organic Dyes and Upconverting Nanoparticles
12:51

A 'Plug and Play' Method to Create Water-dispersible Nanoassemblies Containing an Amphiphilic Polymer, Organic Dyes and Upconverting Nanoparticles

Published on: November 14, 2015

Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers
10:16

Optical Control of Living Cells Electrical Activity by Conjugated Polymers

Published on: January 28, 2016

Dynamic Light-Induced Protein Patterns at Model Membranes
07:10

Dynamic Light-Induced Protein Patterns at Model Membranes

Published on: February 23, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Photochemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Molecular photoswitches are crucial for light-controlled applications but often suffer from poor water solubility, limiting their use in biological systems.
  • Existing photoswitches struggle to generate significant and sustained pH shifts in aqueous environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize and characterize a highly water-soluble photoswitchable diarylethene with dual pH-modulating capabilities.
  • To demonstrate reversible pH control in aqueous solutions for bioinspired applications.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis and photophysical characterization of a novel N-heterocyclic imine (NHI)-diarylethene photoswitch.
  • Experimental determination of pKa values and development of a model for pH modulation.
  • Application of the photoswitch to control the assembly of a pH-responsive protein.

Main Results:

  • The NHI-diarylethene exhibits dual photoacidic (pH 6-11) and photobasic (pH 3-6) behavior, a first for photoswitches.
  • Achieved a reversible pH change of over 1.7 pH units using alternating UV and visible light.
  • Successfully controlled the assembly of a cationic reflectin protein in aqueous solution.

Conclusions:

  • This water-soluble photoswitch offers unprecedented dual functionality and operation in the basic pH regime.
  • It provides precise, sustained, and reversible pH control in aqueous environments, vital for bioinspired dynamic systems.
  • The photoswitch holds promise for biophotonic applications and mimicking biological functions.