Photochromism of azobenzene-thiol-1,3-diazabicyclo-[3.1.0]hex-3-ene on silver nanoparticles

The new azobenzene-thiol terminated photochromic derivatives is designed, synthesized and used to form self-assembled monolayers on silver nanoparticles. The photochromic behavior of 1,3-diazabicyclo-[3.1.0]hex-3-ene joined with surface plasmon resonance absorption band of silver nanoparticles and photoisomerisable azobenzene is presented. The ultraviolet visible experiments demonstrated that electronic transitions of functionalized silver nanoparticles were shifted as a result of chemical bonding and overlap between absorption bands of photochromic ligands with surface plasmon resonance absorption band of silver nanoparticle. Furthermore, we have also observed that trans -> cis and cis -> trans photoisomerization rate by ultraviolet light and thermally induced condition for functionalized silver nanoparticles are noticeably faster than free ligands. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.