Ascorbate-assisted nitric oxide release from photocontrollable nitrosonium ion releasers for potent ex vivo photovasodilation.

We found that N -nitrosoaminoanisole derivatives tethered to dyes work as photocontrollable nitrosonium cation releasers and are converted to potent nitric oxide releasers in the presence of sodium ascorbate. The N -nitrosoaminoanisole derivative 2 worked as a more potent photovasodilating reagent ex vivo than previously reported nitric oxide releasers.