Photoactive polysaccharides

Light is a non-invasive stimulus or probe, which retains more and more attention in science and technology. In the present review the reader is informed about the important issue of the interactions of polysaccharides and light. Considering some aspects of polysaccharide structure and properties, topics such as absorption and fluorescence of polysaccharides, the structural analysis using light as a probe, and creation of new materials by combining chromophores and polysaccharides are discussed. Attention is also be given to polysaccharide derivatives, where absorption of light induces structural changes, including photocrosslinking and photochromism.