Azo compounds with different sized fluorophores and characterization of their photophysical properties based on trans to cis conformational change

We synthesized fluorophores of different sizes attached to azo derivatives, such as thiophene-, naphthalene-, anthracene-, and pyrene-based azo compounds, and studied their photophysical properties. The compounds exhibited strong color and intensity changes in absorption and emission during the structural change from trans to cis, which also resulted in a large Stokes shift and a difference in quantum yield. Depending on their size, the compounds had different rates of transformation from the trans to cis structure: less conjugated (smaller) fluorophore azo compounds showed higher transition rates than more conjugated (larger) ones.