Light Energy Induced Fluorescence Switching Based on Novel Photochromic Nucleosides

Abstract

Photochromic molecules are potentially applicable to the optical module for molecular switches and sensors. Herein, we report on a novel photochromic vinylpyrene-substituted 2'-deoxyguanosine analogue (VPy G) that undergoes the reversible E-Z isomerization accompanied with a unique "on-off" fluorescence switching. The highly fluorescent E-isomer was rapidly converted to the non-fluorescent Z-isomer under visible light irradiation (>420 nm). Conversely, when the Z-isomer was illuminated with UV-light (∼365 nm), Z- to E-isomerization also took place rapidly. Furthermore, such reversible photoisomerization was repeated more than 10 times without any side reaction. The drastic and reversible fluorescence change of the photochromic guanine baseVPy G might be useful for molecular devices. © Springer 2010.