TY  - JOUR
A1  - Knie, Christopher
A1  - Utecht, Manuel Martin
A1  - Zhao, Fangli
A1  - Kulla, Hannes
A1  - Kovalenko, Sergey
A1  - Brouwer, Albert M.
A1  - Saalfrank, Peter
A1  - Hecht, Stefan
A1  - Bleger, David
T1  - ortho-Fluoroazobenzenes: visible light switches with very long-lived Z isomers
JF  - Chemistry - a European journal
N2  - 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 optimized properties, such as the ability to isomerize with visible light only, high photoconversions, and unprecedented robust bistable character. Introducing sigma-electron-withdrawing F atoms ortho to the N=N unit leads to both an effective separation of the n -> pi* bands of the E and Z isomers, thus offering the possibility of using these two transitions for selectively inducing E/Z iso-merizations, and greatly enhanced thermal stability of the Z isomers. Additional para-electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs) work in concert with ortho-F atoms, giving rise to enhanced separation of the n -> pi* transitions. A comprehensive study of the effect of substitution on the key photochemical properties of ortho-fluoroazobenzenes is reported herein. In particular, the position, number, and nature of the EWGs have been varied, and the visible light photoconversions, quantum yields of isomerization, and thermal stabilities have been measured and rationalized by DFT calculations.
KW  - azobenzenes
KW  - photochromism
KW  - photoswitches
KW  - substituent effects
KW  - visible light
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201404649
SN  - 0947-6539
SN  - 1521-3765
VL  - 20
IS  - 50
SP  - 16492
EP  - 16501
PB  - Wiley-VCH
CY  - Weinheim
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Weis, Philipp
A1  - Hess, Andreas
A1  - Kircher, Gunnar
A1  - Huang, Shilin
A1  - Auernhammer, Günter K.
A1  - Koynov, Kaloian
A1  - Butt, Hans-Jürgen
A1  - Wu, Si
T1  - Effects of Spacers on Photoinduced Reversible Solid-to-Liquid Transitions of Azobenzene-Containing Polymers
JF  - Chemistry - a European journal
N2  - Photoisomerization in some azobenzene-containing polymers (azopolymers) results in reversible solid-to-liquid transitions because trans- and cis-azopolymers have different glass transition temperatures. This property enables photoinduced healing and processing of azopolymers with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, a general lack of knowledge about the influence of the polymer structure on photoinduced reversible solid-to-liquid transitions hinders the design of such novel polymers. Herein, the synthesis and photoresponsive behavior of new azopolymers with different lengths of spacers between the polymer backbone and the azobenzene group on the side chain are reported. Azopolymers with no and 20 methylene spacers did not show photoinduced solid-to-liquid transitions. Azopolymers with 6 or 12 methylene spacers showed photoinduced solid-to-liquid transitions. This study demonstrates that spacers are essential for azopolymers with photoinduced reversible solid-to-liquid transitions, and thus, gives an insight into how to design azopolymers for photoinduced healing and processing.
KW  - azobenzenes
KW  - isomerization
KW  - photochemistry
KW  - polymers
KW  - self-healing
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201902273
SN  - 0947-6539
SN  - 1521-3765
VL  - 25
IS  - 46
SP  - 10946
EP  - 10953
PB  - Wiley-VCH
CY  - Weinheim
ER  -