Development of a new class of photochromic peptides by using diarylethene-based non-natural amino acids

We synthesized novel photochromic non-natural amino acids based on diarylethene skeletons. The non-natural amino acids can be introduced at any positions in various types of peptides by solid/solution phase synthesis. In this study, linear and cyclic peptides including the diarylethene residues were prepared. Their peptides showed photochromism peculiar to original diarylethenes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.