Photo-cleavable glyconucleoside bolaamphiphiles containing a nitrophenyl unit feature gelation abilities in aqueous media. The stiffness of the resulting gels can be modulated upon light irradiation thanks to the photocleavage reaction of nitrophenyl moieties. A photo-cleavable glyconucleoside bolaamphiphile (GNBAhv) featuring a nitrophenyl unit is reported. The stiffness of the GNBAhv based gels can be modulated upon light irradiation.