Organic photochromic compounds (OPC) undergo reversible chemical and physical changes when irradiated with the appropriate wavelength of light. These changes are manifested both at the molecular and bulk material level and include photo-induced shifts in color, refractive index, molecular length, and polarity. Such photo-controllable properties are of interest for bio-orthogonal control of biological processes, as well as in the fields of optical computing and data storage. A thorough understanding of molecular and material level structure-property relationships is imperative to enable effective design and optimization of organic photochrome structures for each specific application. Our lab is trying to create a azobenzene dye that isomerizes at about 120 hrz, within milliseconds, in the visual range of wavelength, and can be tethered to proteins. The focus was placed on physical and photophysical properties, such as isomerization wavelength, quantum yield, and decay rate to create such an azobenzene. If a usable azobenzene were created, it could be tethered to the sodium or potassium channels in the eye to initiate an action potential similar to the innate response in the eye’s photoreceptors that causes a release of neurotransmitters that, in turn, affect sodium and potassium channels causing an action potential. Used in this fashion, it can help treat the most common eye disease causing blindness, retinitis pigmentosa. In lab, I used time-resolved laser spectroscopy, fluorescence, and fluorescence lifetime analysis to analyze the three photochromic Azobenzene dyes: PheNAQ, TVI, TVI acid, and MeNAQ created by my mentor, Phillip Sullivan.