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A unique respiring behavior of artificial cells based on self-assembled vesicles of photo-responsive azobenzene-endcapped polyethylene glycol (Azo-PEGs) was reported. The extraordinarily large change in vesicle size originates from an isomerization-driven molecular assembly upon UV-Vis irradiation cycles, and is associated with substantial transmembrane solvent transportation. The actual mechanism is believed to be complex although it is clear that the azobenzene groups act as photo-trigger which allows a large amount of water being repeatedly pumped in or out of the vesicles by visible or UV irradiation.
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Hu et al. (2011) studied this question.
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