Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik
DY 26: Focus Session: Water – from Atmosphere to Space III (joint session CPP/DY)
DY 26.2: Talk
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 14:30–14:45, ZEU/LICH
Cholesterol Controlled Photo-Switching Activity of Azobenzene Glycoconjugates in Lipid Membranes — •Prashant Hitaishi1,2, Svenja C. Hövelmann1,2, Michael Röhrl3, Nicolas Hayen1, Ella Diebell1, Ali Ashtiani1, Carlotta Mager1, Thisbe Lindhorst3, and Bridget M. Murphy1,2 — 1Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Kiel University, Leibnizstraße 19, Kiel, 24118, Germany — 2Ruprecht Haensel Laboratory, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, Hamburg, 22607, Germany — 3Otto Diels-Institut für Organische Chemie, University of Kiel, Germany
Reversible photo-switchable molecules enable precise optical control of soft interfaces and are attractive for smart surfaces and light-triggered drug delivery. Azobenzene glycoconjugates (Azo) undergo reversible trans-cis isomerization under alternating UV and visible illumination, thereby modulating their conformation and interactions with lipid membranes. Here, Azo is incorporated into DPPC monolayers containing 0, 15, or 30 mol% cholesterol to mimic biologically relevant membrane compositions. Langmuir monolayer isotherm studies combined with time-resolved illumination cycles and X-ray measurements are used to quantify Azo-induced changes in membrane structure and relaxation kinetics. Increasing cholesterol slows Azo photo-switching, indicating a more constrained, rigid nanoenvironment, and shows that membrane composition can be used to tune light responsiveness in lipid interfaces for designing azobenzene-based responsive biomaterials.
Keywords: Azobenzene glcoconjugates; Photo-switch; Langmuir monolayer; DPPC membrane; Cholesterol