Visible and near-infrared light activated azo dyes

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2021.03.020
• Publication Date: 2021-03-10T00:10:09Z
• Authors: Huijuan Chen; Weijie Chen; Yan Lin; Yuan Xie; Sheng Hua Liu; Jun Yin
• Keywords: Visible spectrum; Photon Upconversion

Abstract The photoisomerization properties of azo derivatives have been widely used in the fields of materials and biology. One serious restriction to the development of functional azo-based materials is the necessity to trigger switching by UV light, which damage the corresponding surfaces and penetrate only partially through the matter. Therefore, developing the visible and near-infrared light activated azo switches can solve this problem. This review provides a summary of molecular design strategies for driving the isomerization of azo derivatives with visible light and near-infrared light: (1) smart design directly excited by visible light, (2) the addition of upconversion nanoparticles, (3) the employment of two-photon absorption, (4) indirect excitation in combination with metal sensitizer.