Spectroscopic Electrochemical Properties and DFT Calculation of 1-Aryltriazenes

Electrochromic materials are of great interest for their potential in eyewear protection and data storage devices, as they change colors in response to electrochemical switching. While many of the systems currently used are based on inorganic materials, organic materials such as triazenes have emerged as viable alternatives due to their unique properties, including optical properties. Triazenes are a class of organic compounds with three consecutive nitrogen atoms in an acyclic arrangement, and they have been used for a variety of applications in medicinal and synthetic chemistry. However, the effects of solvents on the UV-visible absorption spectrum of triazenes have not been fully investigated. The neutral molecules of 3,3-diisopropyl-1-phenyltriazene and 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-cyclopentyltriazene in acetonitrile, the UV-visible spectra corresponded respectively to HOMO → LUMO transitions with a large maximum absorption at 299.74 nm (4.1364 eV) and 299.57 nm (4.1387 eV) and the most intense oscillator strength (f = 0.6988) and (f = 0.7372). These results suggest that the electronic transitions of the compounds are highly influenced by the nature of the substituents on the triazene unit, as well as the solvent used in the experiment. The redox couple 0.92 and -0.44 V/Ag/AgCl is attributed to the phenyl group. Compound III showed an oxidation and reduction peak respectively -0.27 and -0.8 V/Ag/AgCl attributed to the phenyl molecule. The study concluded that all three compounds were electroactive and exhibited reversible characteristics with oxidizing/reducing couples. This study aims to contribute to research on the optical properties of triazenes compounds and the application of quantum chemical calculation methods for understanding their molecular structures. By investigating the solute-solvent interactions occurring in the solvation shell of the solutes, we aim to gain insights into the effects of solvents on the UV-visible absorption spectrum of triazenes. Our findings may have implications for the development of functionalized triazenes as potential electrochromic materials.