American Chemical Society
Browse

Two-Photon-Induced [2 + 2] Cycloaddition of Bis-thymines: A Biocompatible and Reversible Approach

Download (1.16 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2020-05-12, 12:41 authored by Monica Ricci, Martin G.T.A. Rutten, Shuichi Toyouchi, Sepa Nanayakkara, Beatrice Fortuni, Raffaele Vitale, Susana Rocha, Daniela A. Wilson, Johan Hofkens, Kei Saito, Hiroshi Uji-i
Despite having great value across a wide variety of scientific fields, two-photon polymerizations currently suffer from two significant problems: the need for photoinitiators, which generate toxic side products, and the irreversibility of the process. Hence, the design of a versatile approach that circumvents these issues represents a major scientific challenge. Herein, we report a two-photon absorption strategy where reversible [2 + 2] cycloaddition of bis-thymines was achieved without the need for any photoinitiator. The cycloaddition and cycloreversion reactions could be induced by simply changing the irradiation wavelength, and repeated writing and erasing cycles were performed. The simplicity, reversibility, and biocompatibility of this strategy open up a whole new toolbox for applications across a wide variety of scientific fields.

History