Supramolecular Assembly of Photoresponsive Molecular Amphiphile for Functional Soft Matter

Photoresponsive molecular amphiphiles, obtained by incorporating amphiphilic moieties on a photoresponsive core, effectively bridge synthetic organic molecules with functional photoresponsive soft matters across multiple length-scales in aqueous media. Well-established molecular design strategies and principles have been identified for exquisitely designing versatile photoresponsive molecular amphiphiles and systematically programing both structures and functions across multiple length-scales to obtain mesoscopic and even macroscopic properties. The thrive of photoresponsive molecular amphiphiles drastically expand the potentiality by offering plenty opportunities for their utilization in various fields. Here, we summarize the increasingly enriched applications of photoresponsive molecular amphiphiles according to different aqueous environment (water-containing interfaces, solution states, and macroscopic soft scaffolds), describing how photoresponsive molecular amphiphiles were designed to fit in varieties of fascinating applications by inducing photoresponsive propensities into complex aqueous media and constructing functionality with versatile photoresponsive moieties.