Our Mission

In the field of adaptive and responsive materials, the ability to utilize light as a stimulus to induce molecular transformations amongst organic photochromic compounds has been significantly sought after, given the particular importance in applications involving spatial control. Molecular photoswitches have fundamentally changed how chemist think about spatiotemporally control and function at a molecular level. Unlike static molecules, stimuli–responsive photoswitchable systems allow chemical properties such as mechanical behavior and polarity to be altered using light as a stimulus. In addition, recent advances in molecular design, photophysical understanding, and synthetic accessibility continuously leads to transformative approaches in dynamic and switchable catalysis, adaptive materials, molecular machines and information processing, and chemical biology. As the field evolves, interdisciplinary collaboration is increasingly essential to translate molecular-level design into functional systems. 

Join us in New Orleans on Tuesday, March 23rd, 2027, for a dynamic symposium exploring photoswitchable chemistry. Our symposium will consist of four sessions: the initial three sessions will feature speakers from academia who actively research astonishing molecular photoswitches and/or motors. The fourth session will entail an open discussion, offering participants the opportunity to ask questions relevant to the speakers’ background and experience. This format will trigger interdisciplinary discussions and open dialogues on the evolving landscape of stimuli-responsive photoswitches and their applications. Moreover, the symposium will promote interactions between younger scientists and established scholars, encouraging a holistic and collaborative approach to photoswitch research. Finally, we aim to fund one travel awards, respectively for an undergraduate or graduate student, to enhance accessibility to this symposium. These efforts aim to establish a platform for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration, Advancing Light-Controlled Chemical Research. 

Our Symposium Objectives are:

1. Provide a timely platform to fortify knowledge (design, synthesis, and mechanistic understanding, etc...) of stimuli-responsive photoswitches.

2. Showcase applications of photoswitches across various areas of chemistry and related disciplines, and to identify current challenges and future directions.

3. Inspire new collaborations and innovative approaches that push the boundaries of light-controlled chemistry.