Abstract
N-{4-(Phenylazo)phenyl}aminophenyl-2-aza-[3]-ferrocenophane (4) and N-{3-(phenylazo)phenyl}aminophenyl-2-aza-[3]-ferrocenophane (5) have been prepared by C-N bond-forming reactions catalyzed by Ru and Pd complexes, The absorption peaks due to the π-π* transition of the trans-azobenzene group of 4 and 5 appear at 442 and 426 nm, respectively, in toluene, Photoirradiation of solutions of 4 and 5 at 420 nm causes partial isomerization of the trans-azobenzene group to cis-azobenzene and reaches a photostationary state, The compounds at the photostationary state undergo thermal isomerization of the cis-azobenzene group to the trans isomer. The isomerization after one-electron oxidation of the compounds takes place more rapidly than that without electrochemical oxidation. © Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 2005.