Release of guests from encapsulated masked hydrophobic precursors by a phototrigger.

Examples of release of organic acids from encapsulated p-methoxyphenacyl esters provided here demonstrate the value of a phototrigger strategy to release chemicals of interest in water from hydrophobic precursors. In this study, a photochemical β-cleavage process centered on the p-methoxyphenacyl group is exploited to release the acid of interest from a water-soluble capsule made up of octa acid.