Direct visualization of molecular conformation changes

We designed azobenzene alkyl disulfide to visualize molecular photoswitches in a monolayer system. Repeated changes in the surface nanostructure between a stripe-shaped structure and a smoother structure as a result of the reversible trans ↔ cisphotoisomerization of azobenzene units in phase-separated nanodomains were obviously observed using atomic force microscopy and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy.