Issue 5, 2012
From the journal:

Chemical Society Reviews

Photoisomerization in different classes of azobenzene

H. M. Dhammika Bandarab  and  Shawn C. Burdette*ab  

* Corresponding authors

a Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, USA
E-mail: scburdette@wpi.edu

b University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, USA

Abstract

Azobenzene undergoes trans → cisisomerization when irradiated with light tuned to an appropriate wavelength. The reverse cis →transisomerization can be driven by light or occurs thermally in the dark. Azobenzene's photochromatic properties make it an ideal component of numerous molecular devices and functional materials. Despite the abundance of application-driven research, azobenzene photochemistry and the isomerization mechanism remain topics of investigation. Additional substituents on the azobenzene ring system change the spectroscopic properties and isomerization mechanism. This critical review details the studies completed to date on the 3 main classes of azobenzene derivatives. Understanding the differences in photochemistry, which originate from substitution, is imperative in exploiting azobenzene in the desired applications.

Graphical abstract: Photoisomerization in different classes of azobenzene

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C1CS15179G
Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
01 Jul 2011
First published
18 Oct 2011

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012,41, 1809-1825

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Photoisomerization in different classes of azobenzene

H. M. D. Bandara and S. C. Burdette, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012, 41, 1809 DOI: 10.1039/C1CS15179G

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