A proof-of-principle for the application of a photoinduced pH jump for delivery of the Hoechst 33258 drug by disassembly of its host–guest complex with cucurbit[7]uril is described.
Guest induced shape change of the cucurbit[8]uril cavity is likely rate limiting in the supramolecular photocatalytic cycle for CB8 mediated photodimerization of 6-methylcoumarin.