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Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.128, No.21, 7097-7109, 2006
Reversible photoswitching of the coordination numbers of silicon in organosilicon compounds bearing a 2-(phenylazo)phenyl group
Several organosilicon compounds bearing a 2-(phenylazo) phenyl group were synthesized from the corresponding chlorosilanes and 2-lithioazobenzene prepared by halogen-lithium transmetalation of 2-iodoazobenzene. Their structures were determined by H-1, C-13, F-19, and Si-29 NMR spectra, UV-vis spectra, and X-ray crystallographic analyses. In the UV-vis spectra, silyl groups caused red shifts of both the n-pi* and pi-pi* transitions of the azo group compared with the transitions of the unsubstituted azobenzene. The E-isomers of the fluorosilanes showed an intramolecular interaction between a nitrogen atom of the azo group and the silicon atom, leading their intermediate structures between a distorted trigonal bipyramidal structure and a tetrahedral structure around the silicon atoms, which were revealed by the X-ray crystallographic analyses and the NMR spectra. On the other hand, silanes without fluorine atoms showed tetrahedral structures in the absence of such an interaction. The photoirradiation of the E-isomers of the fluorosilanes afforded reversibly the corresponding Z-isomers in good yields. The silicon atoms of the Z-isomers were found to be tetracoordinate in the absence of Si-N interactions by the Si-29 NMR spectra. The coordination numbers of the silicon atom of the fluorosilanes were reversibly switched between four and five by photoirradiation. These properties were compared to those of a tetrafluoro[2-(phenylazo)phenyl]-silicate.