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Engineering water-soluble photoswitches: design strategies and biological applications for spatiotemporal control
Yongliang Feng1, Linyu Zhang1,2, Jinkuan Gong1
1Luoyang Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules, College of Food and Drug, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang, 471934, P. R. China. liziyong@mails.ccnu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Molecular photoswitches enable precise, non-invasive remote control of biological processes with high spatiotemporal resolution, yet their biological translation remains severely constrained by poor water solubility. Therefore, engineering water-soluble photoswitches has become a critical prerequisite for advancing light-controlled technologies toward biological applications. In this review, we first summarize the molecular design strategies that render hydrophobic photoswitches water-soluble, categorizing current approaches into covalent modification and non-covalent assembly. We then highlight state-of-the-art biological applications of water-soluble photoswitches, including bioimaging, super-resolution imaging, photopharmacology, photocontrolled photodynamic therapy and drug delivery. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and remaining challenges in developing next-generation water-soluble photoswitches, and outline future directions toward intelligent, bio-compatible, and clinically translatable photoswitchable systems.
