Nanodevices: Small 15/2009

The cover image shows the working principle of a supra-photoswitch involving multiple azobenzenes. On the left, the stable duplex involving trans-azobenzenes is formed when visible light is irradiated. On the right, the photoresponsive duplex is completely dissociated into two single strands when azobenzenes are photoisomerized to cis form under UV light irradiation. A nanopot, with a cap that can be opened and closed with light irradiation, can store drugs, inhibitors, proteins, or other molecules. When the UV light is irradiated at a pinpoint with a laser light source, the contents can be released at the desired position. For more information, please read the Full Paper “A Supra-photoswitch Involving Sandwiched DNA Base Pairs and Azobenzenes for Light-Driven Nanostructures and Nanodevices” by H. Asanuma et al., beginning on page 1761.