Role of Solvent and Effect of Substituent on Azobenzene Isomerization by Using Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids as Reaction Media

The effects of a para substituent, as the electron-donating -OCH3 and -OtBu groups and the electron-withdrawing -Br and -F atoms, on azobenzene isomerization have been investigated in a series of imidazolium ionic liquids (BMIM PF6, BMIM BF4, BMIM Tf2N, EMIM Tf2N, BM2IM Tf2N, and HMIM Tf2N). The thermal cis-trans conversion tends to be improved in the presence of the substituent, as pointed out by the first-order rate constants measured at 25...