%0 Journal Article
%A Marazzi, Marco
%A Garcia-Iriepa, Cristina
%A Benitez-Martin, Carlos
%A Najera, Francisco
%A Monari, Antonio
%A Sampedro, Diego
%T E/Z Molecular Photoswitches Activated by Two-Photon Absorption: Comparison between Different Families
%D 2021
%U https://hdl.handle.net/10668/25311
%X Nonlinear optical techniques as two-photon absorption (TPA) have raised relevant interest within the last years due to the capability to excite chromophores with photons of wavelength equal to only half of the corresponding one-photon absorption energy. At the same time, its probability being proportional to the square of the light source intensity, it allows a better spatial control of the light-induced phenomenon. Although a consistent number of experimental studies focus on increasing the TPA cross section, very few of them are devoted to the study of photochemical phenomena induced by TPA. Here, we show a design strategy to find suitable E/Z photoswitches that can be activated by TPA. A theoretical approach is followed to predict the TPA cross sections related to different excited states of various photoswitches' families, finally concluding that protonated Schiff-bases (retinal)-like photoswitches outperform compared to the others. The donor-acceptor substitution effect is therefore rationalized for the successful TPA activatable photoswitch, in order to maximize its properties, finally also forecasting a possible application in optogenetics. Some experimental measurements are also carried out to support our conclusions.
%K E
%K Z photoswitches
%K photoisomerization
%K two-photon absorption
%K Azobenzene photoswitches
%K One-photon
%K Photochemical characterization
%K Photoisomerization dynamics
%K Benzylidene-oxazolones
%K Caged compounds
%K Quantum yield
%K Light
%K Switches
%K Chromophores
%~