Photo-induced molecular-recognition-mediated adhesion of giant vesicles.

Few methods currently exist for controlling vesicle-vesicle adhesion. We now report a new system, based upon a multivalent guest and an amphiphilic receptor with a photo-isomerisable anchor that can be incorporated into lipid vesicles of different sizes. Large unilamellar vesicles containing our receptor were found to aggregate upon addition of the multivalent guest, independently of photoswitching between the two conformations of the anchor. However, for giant vesicles immobilised on a platinum wire, guest-mediated adhesion only occurred upon photo-isomerisation of the anchor. This behaviour was attributed to the dynamics introduced into the system through the conformational changes caused by irradiation.