Red-edge effect: Light absorbing molecule's microenvironment determines excited-state lifetime/ reactivity under lower-energy, red-shifted light

https://phys.org/news/2025-08-principle-photochemistry-microenvironments-absorption-reactions.html

"color that is absorbed the most by a molecule is not necessarily the most efficient at triggering photoreactions... by controlling microenvironments, through solvent choice or molecular design, we can tune how light affects molecules, allowing for more precision in photochemical technology... photodynamic therapy, drug delivery, 3D printing, organic chemistry, solar energy harvesting, polymer engineering, manufacturing"