Reversible pH- and photocontrollable carbohydrate-based surfactants.

The parallel synthesis and properties of a library of photoswitchable surfactants comprising a hydrophobic butylazobenzene tail-group and a hydrophilic carbohydrate head-group, including the first surfactants to exhibit dual photo-and pH-responsive behavior, is reported. This new generation of surfactants shows varying micelle morphologies, photocontrollable surface tension, and pH-induced aggregation and adsorption.