Dynamic Control of Interfacial Properties and Self-assembly with Photoirradiation

Molecular systems that use light as a stimulus or driving force play important roles in biological and artificial molecular functions. Photoresponsive surfactants with photochromic moi-eties are attractive materials in which the interfacial functions and self-assembly ability can be controlled by photoirradiation. In this review, we discuss examples of photoresponsive surfactants and their characteristics, which are divided into three types of reaction modes of photochromism: isomerization, cleavage, and reversible cleavage.

Automated summary

This review discusses the important roles of molecular systems that utilize light as a stimulus or driving force in biological and artificial molecular functions. Photoresponsive surfactants with photochromic moieties are attractive materials that offer control over interfacial functions and self-assembly ability through photoirradiation. The examples and characteristics of photoresponsive surfactants are discussed, categorized into three types of photochromic reaction modes: isomerization, cleavage, and reversible cleavage.