Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Smart bases: By using a photochromic azobenzene-derived blocking group, a piperidine base can be switched between a sterically shielded, inactive form and an accessible, reactive form (see picture; C dark gray, H light gray, O red, N blue). Thus, light can be used for the reversible external modulation of ground-state basicity and hence activity in general base catalysis.
Peters et al. (Tue,) studied this question.