Photoremovable protecting groups and uses thereof

A method for photoreleasing a moiety G, or a fragment thereof, from a compound of formula A-G comprising:

• irradiating a composition comprising the compound of formula A-G at a wavelength of >500 nm, so as to photorelease the moiety G, or a fragment thereof, from the moiety A;
• wherein:
• the moiety A is a moiety of formula I:
• wherein:
• the wavy line represents the attachment point of the moiety A to the moiety G or L-G;
• R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are each, independently, hydrogen, halogen, optionally substituted C1-C6-alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C6-alkenyl or (C6-C14-aryl)-(C2-C6-alkenyl-), wherein the (C6-C14-aryl)-(C2-C6-alkenyl-) is optionally substituted on the C2-C6-alkenyl or the C6-C14-aryl;
• and
• the moiety G is a protein, an oligopeptide, an amino acid, an oligonucleotide, an ion, or a small molecule.