Amino-substituted diazocines as pincer-type photochromic switches

• Hanno Sell,
• Christian Näther and
• Rainer Herges

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2013, 9, 1–7, doi:10.3762/bjoc.9.1

• ; molecular pincer; molecular switches; photochromic compound; Introduction Azobenzenes probably are the most frequently used photochromic switches in chemistry. They are employed as molecular actuators to drive a number of dynamic machine-like functions [1]. To achieve sophisticated engineering tasks such

• solution at room temperature, trans-3,3’-EBAB 4 isomerizes to the more stable cis form with a half-life of 74 h. The corresponding half-life of trans-3,3’-acetamido-EBAB 5 is 46 h (Table 1). Application as a molecular pincer In the 1H NMR spectra of cis-4 and cis-5 the four protons of the ethylene bridge