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Review
. 2023 Apr 25;28(9):3712.
doi: 10.3390/molecules28093712.

Recent Progress in Photoresponsive Biomaterials

Miriam Di Martino  1 , Lucia Sessa  1   2 , Rosita Diana  3 , Stefano Piotto  1   2 , Simona Concilio  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Recent Progress in Photoresponsive Biomaterials

Miriam Di Martino et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Photoresponsive biomaterials have garnered increasing attention recently due to their ability to dynamically regulate biological interactions and cellular behaviors in response to light. This review provides an overview of recent advances in the design, synthesis, and applications of photoresponsive biomaterials, including photochromic molecules, photocleavable linkers, and photoreactive polymers. We highlight the various approaches used to control the photoresponsive behavior of these materials, including modulation of light intensity, wavelength, and duration. Additionally, we discuss the applications of photoresponsive biomaterials in various fields, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, biosensing, and optical storage. A selection of significant cutting-edge articles collected in recent years has been discussed based on the structural pattern and light-responsive performance, focusing mainly on the photoactivity of azobenzene, hydrazone, diarylethenes, and spiropyrans, and the design of smart materials as the most targeted and desirable application. Overall, this review highlights the potential of photoresponsive biomaterials to enable spatiotemporal control of biological processes and opens up exciting opportunities for developing advanced biomaterials with enhanced functionality.

Keywords: azobenzene; biomaterials; diarylethene; hydrazones; photoresponsive; spiropyran.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structures of the most used photoresponsive molecules.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Photoisomerization process of azobenzene. Lone electron pairs on the nitrogen atoms are evidenced. This image has been realized with the IboView program [17].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Preparation of starch-based hydrogel containing azo and carboxyl groups [24].
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a) Structures of polymers 4arm-PEG and the synthetic procedure of Azo-NHS and (b) Schematic illustration of the preparation procedures of PR-gel [25].
Figure 5
Figure 5
(a) Building blocks of photochromic hydrogels; (b) isomerization under green and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) irradiation [26].
Figure 6
Figure 6
Chemical structures of supramolecular photoresponsive hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels by (a) Rosales et al. [29] and (b) Gao et al. [30].
Figure 7
Figure 7
Chemical structures and schematic of the self-assembly of CTAB and AZO molecules [31].
Figure 8
Figure 8
Graphical demonstration of the interactions within the hydrogel matrix [32].
Figure 9
Figure 9
Illustration of up/down conversion nanoparticle (U/DCNP) functionalized hollow polymer nanocapsules and the near-infrared light-induced decomposing process from 180 nm nanocapsules to scattered polymers and 20 nm U/DCNPs by [35].
Figure 10
Figure 10
(a) Chemical structures of azo-functionalized polymers [37], (b) Chemical structures of azo-functionalized PNIPAM segment, and (c) Schematic of P(HEMA-co-GMA) brush polymeric surface to realize their multiple functions [38].
Figure 11
Figure 11
Antimicrobial active packaging based on polyethylene and polylactic acid films functionalized with photoreactive nanocapsules with thyme essential oil [42].
Figure 12
Figure 12
Schematic representation of the integration of azobenzene molecules into MOFs structures.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Tailored CO2 capture on photoresponsive MOFs through an interaction between active sites and photoresponsive molecules driven by photoisomerization [47].
Figure 14
Figure 14
Chemical structure of (a) azobenzene dicarboxylic acid ligand and its respective MOFs (Al-AZB and Zr-AZB) by Mogale et al. [50]; (b) 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone, azobenzene (Al-AZB) and stilbene-based (Al-STB) MOFs [51,52].
Figure 15
Figure 15
Chemical structure and photoisomerization process of hydrazone molecule.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Schematic representation of the reversible shape transformation of self-assembled structures of PEG-b-[OPLA] containing hydrazone-based photoswitches via configurational switching of the system [56].
Figure 17
Figure 17
Chemical structures of (a) organogelator G1, (b) hydrogelator G2 and (c) reaction scheme of hydrazone-linked hydrogelator G3 [57].
Figure 18
Figure 18
Chemical structures of hydrogel components: HA-Hydrazide, HA-Aldehyde, PEG-8-BCN, and Benzaldehyde-PEG-Azide [58].
Figure 19
Figure 19
Schematic illustration of the switchable hydrazone-based molecule upon 450 nm irradiation, leading to the disruption of the nanoparticles and subsequent triggering of drug release [59].
Figure 20
Figure 20
Chemical structure of Rhodamine B hydrazone used by Khosravi et al. for immunomagnetic particles [60].
Figure 21
Figure 21
(a) Chemical structures of hydrazone-based AIE-active and photofluorochromic compounds and (b) fabrication of a rewritable photopattern based on TPAHPy/PB films [63].
Figure 22
Figure 22
Chemical structures of open- and closed-ring isomers of diarylethene molecule and their properties.
Figure 23
Figure 23
(a) Schematic steps to prepare photochromic silica nanoparticles with (b) azido-functionalized surface and (c) photochromic-functionalized surface [69].
Figure 24
Figure 24
(a) Chemical structure and the photochromic reaction of DBTEO, (b) Chemical structure of HPNIC, (c) Chemical structure of Nile Red [70].
Figure 25
Figure 25
Chemical structures of TPFPNs components and representation of FRET process under UV/visible light irradiation [71].
Figure 26
Figure 26
Chemical structure and photoisomerization of two photochromic fluorescent monomers to a photoswitchable multistate fluorescent polymer that can reversibly switch between multiple emission states (non-emission, red and green) [74].
Figure 27
Figure 27
Chemical structures of PU (DTE–PU) film and its photo-switching behavior [75].
Figure 28
Figure 28
Chemical structures of DPP-1 and DPP-2 obtained [76].
Figure 29
Figure 29
Scheme of DAE transformations inside DAE-UiO-66 pores under UV-light and visible light [80].
Figure 30
Figure 30
(a) Reversible photochemical cyclization of PyDTEopen upon UV and visible light irradiation. (b) A typical procedure for the synthesis of DTEMOF [81].
Figure 31
Figure 31
Spiropyran photoisomerization process and isomers characteristics.
Figure 32
Figure 32
Preparation of SP-functionalized chitosan-IPN hydrogels and the structural conversion of SP with light and gases [90].
Figure 33
Figure 33
Photoresponsive dual-color fluorescent PVA hydrogel based on FRET [91].
Figure 34
Figure 34
Scheme of the spiropyran-based photoacid that reversibly releases and captures H+ in response to 420 nm light [92].
Figure 35
Figure 35
Images of SP10-MTMS before (SP) and after UV irradiation (MC) and after treating the irradiated sample with a 1 M HCl solution (MCH+) [94].
Figure 36
Figure 36
Schematic representation of polymer nanoparticle and its components [95].
Figure 37
Figure 37
Schematic representation of PNIPAAm-b-P(NIPAAm-co-SP) brushes [96].
Figure 38
Figure 38
Schematic illustration of the photoresponsive wettability transition of fiber materials by SP-OH photoisomerization [97].
Figure 39
Figure 39
Chemical structure of reversible photoresponsive poly(SPAx-co-AAy-co-MMAz) material [99].
Figure 40
Figure 40
Chemical structures of hydrophobic poly(HEMA-co-SPMA) and hydrophilic poly(HEMA-co-MCMA) used by Wang et al. in their new photoresponsive spiropyran-coated nanostructured surface [102].
Figure 41
Figure 41
Chemical structures and photoisomerization process of SP and MC reported in [106].
Figure 42
Figure 42
Chemical structures of MOFs components reported in [107].
Figure 43
Figure 43
Schematic illustration of the synthesis of PAH-MOF using a mixed linker approach [109].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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