Photo-responsive host-guest complexation directs dynamic covalent condensation of phenyl boronic acid and d-fructose.

Inspired by the way templates have been used to drive dynamic combinatorial libraries by molecular recognition, we exploited the photo-responsive host-guest interaction of an azo-based photoswitch with permethylated cyclodextrin to reversibly manipulate the dynamic covalent interaction of a phenyl boronic acid and d-fructose by irradiation with light.