Light-modulation of gel stiffness: a glyconucleoside based bolaamphiphile as a photo-cleavable low molecular weight gelator.

Photo-cleavable glyconucleoside bolaamphiphiles containing a nitrophenyl unit feature gelation abilities in aqueous media. The stiffness of the resulting gels can be modulated upon light irradiation thanks to the photocleavage reaction of nitrophenyl moieties.