Donor–Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts

Donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASA) are a reported class of visible-light-activated photoswitches. DASA synthesis involves two steps using furfural as starting material, while their complex photoswitching mechanism consists both of actinic and thermal steps. As a result of their visible-light activation, negative photochromism, large volume and polarity change, and wavelength tunability, DASAs present significant promise toward light-activated materials. In the years since their first report in 2014, a number of applications have utilized DASA ranging from selective cargo release over controlled phase transfer to directed flow in solution.