This article is an overview of extensive research efforts in many laboratories in the last two decades in the area of light‐switchable electrochemical systems and modified electrodes. Electrochemical reactions, including electrocatalytic and bioelectrocatalytic processes, have been reversibly activated and inhibited upon irradiation with light at different wavelengths. In order to realize these light activated or inhibited processes, the electrodes or/and reacting molecules were functionalized with photoisomerizable molecules including various derivatives of diarylethene, phenoxynaphthacenequinone, azobenzene and spiropyran/merocyanine. Photochemical reactions of these species resulted in change of their redox activity, conformation and electrical charge. All these changes affected electrode surfaces or (bio)molecules resulting in switching ON‐OFF corresponding (bio)electrochemical processes. Various systems based on different light‐controlled reactions are reviewed and discussed with specific examples and with many illustrating figures. Possible extensions of the research area and future applications are briefly overviewed in the conclusion section. The present comprehensive review is addressed to a broad scientific community, including newcomers to the area.

中文翻译：

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可通过光信号切换的修饰电极和电化学系统

本文概述了过去二十年来许多实验室在光可切换电化学系统和修饰电极领域的广泛研究工作。电化学反应，包括电催化和生物电催化过程，已经被不同波长的光照射后被可逆激活和抑制。为了实现这些光激活或抑制的过程，将电极或/和反应分子用可光异构的分子官能化，所述可光异构的分子包括二芳基乙烯，苯氧基萘并苯醌，偶氮苯和螺并吡喃/ merocyanine的各种衍生物。这些物质的光化学反应导致其氧化还原活性，构象和电荷的变化。所有这些变化都会影响电极表面或（生物）分子，从而导致相应的（生物）电化学过程的开关。审查并讨论了基于不同光控反应的各种系统，并带有具体示例和许多插图。结论部分简要概述了研究领域的可能扩展和未来的应用。本全面审查针对的是广大科学界，包括该地区的新手。