Publication date: 15th December 2025
Light-driven modulation of supramolecular interactions underpins many biological functions and has inspired the development of artificial molecular machines and adaptive materials. Rather than using light to toggle between two ground-state species, we instead generate an excited state whose binding affinity differs markedly from that of the ground state, enabling transient and reversible manipulation of host–guest interactions. To accomplish this, we employed one of several euco dyes that undergoes twisted intramolecular charge separation upon photoexcitation. Our findings show that this excited-state process induces significant electronic and structural reorganization, reducing the dye’s affinity for 2D materials and ultimately promoting light-triggered desorption from their surfaces in water. Excited-state control offers distinct advantages over ground-state strategies by allowing reversible and short-lived tuning of molecular binding with 2D materials. This mechanism outlines a new design principle for dynamic, adaptive systems operating under physiological conditions, with potential applications in sensing, drug delivery, and materials science.
