Transient Photoactivation of Anionophores by Using Redshifted Fast‐Relaxing Azobenzenes.

Photo‐regulated transmembrane ionophores enable spatial and temporal control over activity, offering promise as targeted therapeutics. Key to such applications is control using bio‐compatible visible light. Herein, we report red‐shifted azobenzene‐derived synthetic anionophores that use amber or red light to trigger (E)‐(Z) photoisomerisation and activation of transmembrane chloride transport. We demonstrate that by tuning the thermal half‐life of the more active, but thermodynamically unstable, Z isomer to relax on the timescale of minutes, transient activation of ion transport can be achieved by activating solely with visible light and deactivating by thermal relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]