Extended Data Fig. 5: Wavelength dependence of molecular motion.

TIRF images of Gel@TCPP@Azo in water-ethanol 5:5 before (a-b-c-d) and after (e-f-g-h) irradiation (for a total of 8.3 minutes) with light at 405, 488, 561, 642 nm in the central region. Scale bar represents 10 μm. The difference maps below show the areas where changes of intensity can be appreciated (note that the white and black intensities on the four maps have different intensities and do not indicate amount of change). Some fibres in the irradiated area are darker in the difference map (so there is more porphyrin after irradiation). Those fibres are apparently above the focal plane, deeper into the sample compared with the layer imaged. In principle, this can occur because laser intensity is higher at the slide-sample interface, then decreases as we look deeper into the sample. It is evidence for movement of TCPP into the sample as well as to the sides of the irradiated area.