Chromatic discrimination in protocells toward proto vision and intelligence

Proteinoids—thermally synthesized amino acid copolymers—have long served as prebiotic chemistry models for protocell formation, yet their lack of dynamic responsiveness limits applications in smart biomaterials. We describe the synthesis and study of photoswitchable proteinoids. These include phenylalanine-4′-azobenzene hydrochloride chromophores. They were made through thermal polycondensation at 170–180 °C using glutamic acid and phenylalanine monomers. Scanning electron microscopy shows self-assembly into bowl-shaped structures, like stomatocytes. These structures range from 0.5 to 10 m in diameter. They form when the membrane collapses due to cooling and dehydration. UV-visible spectroscopy confirms azobenzene survival through thermal synthesis, with J-aggregate formation producing red-shifted absorption bands near 520 nm. Reversible photoswitching was confirmed by repeated UV–visible light cycling experiments, in which the 520 nm J-aggregate absorption band alternated between bleached (UV, trans → cis ) and recovered (visible, cis → trans ) states over at least five consecutive cycles, confirming that the observed electrophysiological responses are causally linked to photoisomerization rather than photodegradation or thermal artefacts. Electrophysiological tests at six wavelengths—blue, daylight, gray, green, red, and yellow—show that azobenzene-functionalized networks change voltage from −130 to +150 mV. In contrast, pure proteinoids stay mostly inactive. Multi-electrode mapping shows how photoresponsive areas are organized. Channels 13–14 and 15-16 have large polarity reversals, reaching up to 150 mV under yellow and green light. In contrast, channel 11–12 shows unique suppression. This creates different types of photodetection, similar to retinal photoreceptor mosaics. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy shows a 49% drop in real impedance and a 35% drop in imaginary impedance in azobenzene-functionalized samples. This indicates better charge mobility. Cyclic voltammetry demonstrates 976% increased anodic current and 2181% enhanced charge storage capacity, confirming transformation into redox-active materials. Binary logic gate analysis shows AND-like behavior (75% agreement score). The output needs both azobenzene and light input. This demonstrates chemical Boolean operations through wavelength-selective photoisomerization. These photoswitchable proteinoids are self-assembled chemical systems. They can discriminate colors, process signals based on wavelength, and perform photonic logic. This suggests potential for light-controlled drug delivery, adaptive biosensors, and molecular computation platforms.