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

•Designed and synthesized photochromic 1,3-diazabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-ene.•Self-assembly of azobenzene-thiol-1,3-diazabicyclo-[3.1.0]hex-3-ene on AgNPs.•Bathochromic shift in the surface plasmon resonance absorption (SPRA) of AgNPs.•Photochromic of 1,3-diazabicyclo-[3.1.0]hex-3-ene joined with SPRA of AgNPs.•Photochromic of 1,3-diaza, SPRA of AgNPs and photoisomerisable azobenzene.

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.

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