1415919-92-4

Upstream product

• 372-18-9 1,3-Difluorobenzene 
• 42808-62-8 2,2',6,6'-tetrafluoroazobenzene 
• 863868-37-5 2-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolane 
• 5509-65-9 2,6-difluoroaniline 

Relevant academic research and scientific papers

Structural, dynamical, and photochemical properties of: ortho -tetrafluoroazobenzene inside a flexible MOF under visible light irradiation

Considering porous materials as host matrices is an elegant way to enable photoswitching of non-covalently attached organic dyes even in the solid state. By focusing on the resulting optical properties as a function of loading degree and synthesis procedure, the occurring host-guest and guest-guest interactions can be determined and further exploited. In the course of this study, the photochromic behavior of ortho-tetrafluoroazobenzene (tF-AZB) inside flexible DMOF-1 was investigated from these points of view. It was found that depending on the loading degree and temperature, tF-AZB shows varying E/Z ratios and switching efficiency. For systems with low loading, reversible visible light induced isomerization was observed over ten switching cycles: Upon violet light exposure, formation of 100% E isomer was generated, while green light irradiation resulted in ～60% Z-tF-AZB. Complementary molecular dynamics simulations at DFTB (density functional tight binding)-level revealed changing binding sites for Z-tF-AZB inside DMOF-1. For the E isomer, only low oscillations have been found, which in turn display a rare T-stacking interaction. Although the interaction strengths of the E and Z isomers with DMOF-1 are in the same range, the different mobility of both isomers due to varying binding sites explains the preference of the E isomer even upon green light exposure.

Ortho-Fluoroazobenzenes: Visible Light Switches with Very Long-Lived Z Isomers

Improving the photochemical properties of molecular photoswitches is crucial for the development of light-responsive systems in materials and life sciences. ortho-Fluoroazobenzenes are a new class of rationally designed photochromic azo compounds with opt

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Hosts for Fluorinated Azobenzenes: A Path towards Quantitative Photoswitching with Visible Light

Fifteen new photochromic hybrid materials were synthesized by gas phase loading of fluorinated azobenzenes, namely ortho-tetrafluoroazobenzene (tF-AZB), 4H,4H′-octafluoroazobenzene (oF-AZB), and perfluoroazobenzene (pF-AZB), into the pores of the well-known metal-organic frameworks MOF-5, MIL-53(Al), MIL-53(Ga), MIL-68(Ga), and MIL-68(In). Their composition was analysed by elemental (CHNS) and DSC/TGA. For pF-AZB0.34@MIL-53(Al), a structural model based on high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction data was developed and the host-guest and guest-guest interactions were elucidated from this model. These interactions of O?H???F and π???π type were confirmed by significant shifts of the O?H frequencies in loaded and unloaded MOFs of the MIL-53 and MIL-68 series. Most remarkably, all of the synthesized F-AZB@MOF systems can be switched with visible light, and some of them show almost quantitative (>95 %) photo-isomerization between its E and Z forms with no significant fatigue after repeated switching cycles.

Catalytic Azoarene Synthesis from Aryl Azides Enabled by a Dinuclear Ni Complex

Azoarenes are valuable chromophores that have been extensively incorporated as photoswitchable elements in molecular machines and biologically active compounds. Here, we report a catalytic nitrene dimerization reaction that provides access to structurally and electronically diverse azoarenes. The reaction utilizes aryl azides as nitrene precursors and generates only gaseous N2 as a byproduct. By circumventing the use of a stoichiometric redox reagent, a broad range of organic functional groups are tolerated, and common byproducts of current methods are avoided. A catalyst featuring a Ni - Ni bond is found to be uniquely effective relative to those containing only a single Ni center. The mechanistic origins of this nuclearity effect are described.

Hole Catalysis as a General Mechanism for Efficient and Wavelength-Independent Z → E Azobenzene Isomerization

Whereas the reversible reduction of azobenzenes has been known for decades, their oxidation is destructive and as a result has been notoriously overlooked. Here, we show that a chain reaction leading to quantitative Z → E isomerization can be initiated before reaching the destructive anodic peak potential. This hole-catalyzed pathway is accessible to all azobenzenes, without exception, and offers tremendous advantages over the recently reported reductive, radical-anionic pathway because it allows for convenient chemical initiation without the need for electrochemical setups and in the presence of air. In addition, catalytic amounts of metal-free sensitizers, such as methylene blue, can be used as excited-state electron acceptors, enabling a shift of the excitation wavelength to the far red of the azobenzene absorption (up to 660 nm) and providing quantum yields exceeding unity (up to 200%). Our approach will boost the efficiency and sensitivity of optically dense liquid-crystalline and solid photoswitchable materials. Video Abstract: [Figure presented] Molecular switches are a key ingredient in stimulus-responsive and adaptive materials and devices. Light is among the most attractive stimuli, yet photoswitches often require intense irradiation with high-energy UV light and suffer from inefficient switching as well as fatigue. Thus, the design of robust and efficient photoswitches constitutes an important challenge to boost the sensitivity and energy efficiency of the respective materials and devices. Here, we describe that the isomerization of azobenzene switches from their less stable Z isomer back to the more stable E isomer can be triggered by tiny, i.e., catalytic, amounts of holes caused by chemical, electrochemical, or photochemical oxidation. Our method is generally applicable to the entire family of azobenzene switches, does not require expensive equipment, and allows the reliable and efficient operation of these photoswitches by using red light with quantum efficiencies up to 200%. An efficient and generally applicable method is developed for operating azobenzene molecular switches by using catalytic amounts of holes (via an oxidant) or photons (via a photosensitizer). The pathway allows for indirect Z → E photoisomerization using lower-energy light than required for direct azobenzene excitation and with high quantum yields exceeding unity. The method should help to enhance the sensitivity of photoresponsive materials and devices with high optical density.

Photoswitchable nanoporous films by loading azobenzene in metal-organic frameworks of type HKUST-1

Photoswitchable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) enable the dynamic remote control of their key properties. Here, a readily producible approach is presented where photochromic molecules, i.e. azobenzene (AB) and o-tetrafluoroazobenzene (tfAB), are loaded in MOF films of type HKUST-1. These nanoporous films, which can be reversibly switched with UV/visible or only visible light, have remote-controllable guest uptake properties.

Electrocatalytic Z → E Isomerization of Azobenzenes

A variety of azobenzenes were synthesized to study the behavior of their E and Z isomers upon electrochemical reduction. Our results show that the radical anion of the Z isomer is able to rapidly isomerize to the corresponding E configured counterpart with a dramatically enhanced rate as compared to the neutral species. Due to a subsequent electron transfer from the formed E radical anion to the neutral Z starting material the overall transformation is catalytic in electrons; i.e., a substoichiometric amount of reduced species can isomerize the entire mixture. This pathway greatly increases the efficiency of (photo) switching while also allowing one to reach photostationary state compositions that are not restricted to the spectral separation of the individual azobenzene isomers and their quantum yields. In addition, activating this radical isomerization pathway with photoelectron transfer agents allows us to override the intrinsic properties of an azobenzene species by triggering the reverse isomerization direction (Z → E) by the same wavelength of light, which normally triggers E → Z isomerization. The behavior we report appears to be general, implying that the metastable isomer of a photoswitch can be isomerized to the more stable one catalytically upon reduction, permitting the optimization of azobenzene switching in new as well as indirect ways.

Direct and Versatile Synthesis of Red-Shifted Azobenzenes

A straightforward synthesis of azobenzenes with bathochromically-shifted absorption bands is presented. It employs an ortho-lithiation of aromatic substrates, followed by a coupling reaction with aryldiazonium salts. The products are obtained with good to excellent yields after simple purification. Moreover, with the presented methodology, a structurally diverse panel of different azobenzenes, including unsymmetric tetra-ortho-substituted ones, can be readily obtained, which paves the way for future development of red-light-addressable azobenzene derivatives for in vivo application.

O -fluoroazobenzenes as readily synthesized photoswitches offering nearly quantitative two-way isomerization with visible light

Azobenzene functionalized with ortho-fluorine atoms has a lower energy of the n-orbital of the Z-isomer, resulting in a separation of the E and Z isomers' n→π* absorption bands. Introducing para-substituents allows for further tuning of the absorption spe