Photoresponsive cyclodextrin-covered nanocontainers and their sol-gel transition induced by molecular recognition.

Springing the trap: Cyclodextrin-covered mesoporous silica nanoparticles with photocleavable linkers exhibit photoinduced release characteristics and a sol-gel transition that is induced by molecular recognition (see picture). Upon exposure to UV light, the guest molecules were released from the pore by removal of the CD "gatekeeper", which was linked on the surface of the silica nanoparticle through a photocleavable o-nitrobenzyl ester moiety.