Photolabile metal-containing cages are metal complexes that undergo a change in coordination environment upon exposure to light of an appropriate wavelength. The light-responsive functionality can either be a component of the encapsulating ligand or a property of the metal complex itself. The altered coordination properties of light-responsive complexes can result in release of the coordinated metal ion into its surroundings, a differential reactivity of the metal center, or the liberation of a reactive molecule that had been passivated by binding to the metal center. These triggerable agents can be useful tools for manipulating the bioavailability of metals or their coordinating ligands in order to study biological pathways or for potential therapeutic purposes.