Coumarin-Derived Caging Groups in the Spotlight: Tailoring Physiochemical and Photophysical Properties.

The development of light-responsive molecular tools enables spatiotemporal control of biochemical processes with superior precision. Amongst these molecular tools, photolabile caging groups are employed to prevent critical binding interactions between a bioactive molecule and its corresponding target. Only upon irradiation with light, the bioactive is released in its 'active' form and is now readily available to bind to its target.