Reversible photochemical conversion of helicity in self-assembled nanofibers from a 1,ω-thymidylic acid appended bolaamphiphile

Abstract

Light twisting and untwisting: UV light was found to drive reversible helical-nanofiber formation based on the photodimerization and photodissociation of the thymine residue in the 1,ω-thymidylic acid appended bolaamphiphile. 1H NMR spectroscopy revealed that UV irradiation of the self-assembled nanofibers induces a helical structure through the formation of a cis-syn isomer of the thymine moiety. (Figure Presented). © 2006 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.