Photoswitchable Hydrogen‐Bonding in Self‐Organized Cylindrical Peptide Systems

Abstract

The new photochromic supramolecular system 1 is based on the E→Z isomerization of an azobenzene substituted with cyclic peptides with alternating D‐ and L‐α‐amino acids. This system allows reversible switching between inter‐ and intramolecularly assembled cylindrical β‐sheet structures in solution as well as in thin films at the air–water interface. Moreover, the system displays the rarely observed quantitative photoinduced E→Z isomerization.