Multifunctional Photoresponsive Organic Molecule for Electric Field Sensing and Modulation

Bioelectricity is crucial to the normal function of organisms. It is also likely to be an indicator of damage or disease and can drive wound healing. We have engineered a molecular tool to study nanoscale electrical environments that can both “read” and “write” the surrounding bioelectric field. The “read” module is a voltage sensitive fluorescent dye which exhibits aggregation induced emission and two photon absorption. The “write” module consists of a pair of photoconductive organic molecules inspired by xerography, which can be activated with ultraviolet light to modify the local electric field. The rational and computational design of each module, as well as the reduction in crosstalk between the modules, will be discussed. Our all-optically-controlled molecular device is compatible with imaging techniques already widely used by researchers in the field, while adding co-localized multifunctional control.