Photoswitch

A top-down photograph of a small glass jar or container resting on a crinkled piece of aluminum foil. The jar is filled with a deep, vibrant violet liquid that appears to be fluorescing under a light source. The reflections on the liquid's surface and the glass rim create bright highlights, while the crumpled foil underneath adds a metallic, shimmering texture around the circular base of the jar.

Label: Photoswitch
Artist: Noelle Watson
Description: Pictured is a reversible stimuli-responsive molecular switch. Application of an external stimuli (UV/visible light or an applied potential) can be used to switch between two different, thermodynamically stable forms. Molecular switches such as this one show great potential for applications in logic gates, photochromics, and sensing.
Type: Cell Phone Camera
Artist Affiliation: Graduate Student
Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Area of Research: Photochemistry
Date: 2019