Intramolecular Proton Transfer Modulation of Magnetic Spin Coupling Interaction in Photochromic Azobenzene Derivatives with an Ortho-Site Hydroxyl as a Modulator.

Proton transfer modulation in an organic diradical is apparently the most conspicuously attractive phenomenon. In this work, we have computationally designed the trans and cis forms of photochromic azobenzene- (AB-) bridged diradicals by considering AB as coupler and two nitroxide (NO) as spin sources and a -OH attaching at the ortho site as modulator. Our object is that through intramolecular proton transfer to protonate the azo-unit (-N═N-) the magnetic coupling characteristics of the designed diradicals can be modulated in their photocontrolled trans and cis forms. The calculated results indicate that PT can significantly regulate the magnetic spin coupling constants, J = -701.3 cm-1 ↔ -286.2 cm-1 for the trans form and -544.1 cm-1 ↔ -328.1 cm-1 for the cis form. In particular, we discover that these designed magnetic molecules can undergo magnetic conversion between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic coupling through PT, besides there is considerable increase in the magnitude of their magnetic coupling constants J, (e.g., -59.97 to 172.4 cm-1) for the trans-mode at the m/m linking site. Moreover, we discover that the nitroxide radicals at different linking positions have a significant impact and remarkably alter the magnetic spin coupling characteristics of AB-based diradicals. Besides, various radical groups are used as spin sources which corroborated our assumptions and tended to the same conclusion. This work offers a novel understanding of the spin interaction mechanism and a viable approach for the rational design of new AB-based magnets which are beneficial for further applications in the future.