Light-driven interconversion of Pd 2 L 4 cage and mononuclear PdL 2 me diate d by the isomerization of azobenzene ligand

The lantern-shaped cage Pd 2 L 4 and tweezer-like PdL 2 can be synthesized from the trans- and cis -isomer of an azobenzene-containing ligand, respectively, which were characterized by 1 H, 13 C, 1 H1 H COSY, DOSY NMR spectroscopies, high-resolution ESI-MS and density function theory (DFT) calculations. The interconversion of Pd 2 L 4 and PdL 2 can be achieved via the cis-trans isomerization of the azobenzene unit on the ligand upon alternative irradiation of light 365 nm or 420 nm.(c) 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.