4-[Di(biphenyl-4-yl)amino]azobenzene and 4,4′-bis[bis(4′-tert-butylbiphenyl-4-yl)amino]azobenzene as a novel family of photochromic amorphous molecular materials

Abstract

We have created photochromic amorphous molecular materials containing an azobenzene chromophore, 4-[di(biphenyl-4-yl)amino]azobenzene and 4,4′-bis[bis(4′-tert-butylbiphenyl-4-yl)amino]azobenzene (t-BuBBAB), which readily form amorphous glasses above room temperature and exhibit photochromism in their amorphous films. We have shown that the photogenerated cis-form in the amorphous film can be stabilized at ambient temperature by the incorporation of a bulky group; the backward cis→trans thermal isomerization can be controlled by temperature for t-BuBBAB.