Donor-Acceptor Triazene Chromophores

Significance

A series of conjugated triazenes were synthesized in excellent yield by the coupling of an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and an azide. The triazene moiety was shown to be a good electron donor by the bathochromic shift in the absorption maximum upon introduction of a terminal acceptor group on the azide end of the chromo­phore. Moreover, the triazene moiety was found to act as an efficient bridge for additional donor-acceptor interactions between functional groups on the terminal ends of the chromophore.