Tunable Visible and Near-IR Photoactivation of Light-Responsive Compounds by Using Fluorophores as Light-Capturing Antennas

Although the corrin ring of vitamin B-12 is unable to efficiently absorb light beyond 550 nm, it is shown that commercially available fluorophores can be used as antennas to capture long-wavelength light to promote scission of the Co-C bond at wavelengths up to 800 nm. The ability to control the molecular properties of bioactive species with long visible and near-IR light has implications for drug delivery, nanotechnology, and the spatiotemporal control of cellular behavior.