Photoactivation of Ligands for Extrinsically and Intrinsically Triggered Disassembly of Amphiphilic Nanoassemblies

Specific response to the concurrent presence of two different inputs is one of the hallmarks of incorporating specificities in nature. Artificial nanoassemblies that concurrently respond to two very different inputs are of great interest in a variety of applications, especially in biomedicine. Here, we present a design strategy for amphiphilic nanoassemblies with such capabilities, enabled by photocaging a ligand moiety that is capable of binding to a specific protein. New molecular designs that offer nanoassemblies that respond to either of two inputs or only to the concurrent presence of two inputs are outlined. Such biomimetic nanoassemblies could find use in many applications, including drug delivery and diagnostics.