Photo-Electroswitchable Arylaminoazobenzenes.

Azobenzenes appended with a redox-active arylamino group (redox auxiliary, RA) are prepared and shown to undergo fast, complete, and catalytic → azo isomerization upon electron loss from the RA unit of the azobenzene. The RA-azo structures can be reversibly (→→) cycled by sequential photo- and electrostimulation. Due to the robust nature of the RA-azo radical cation chain carrying species, initiation of electron transfer (ET) catalysis occurs at low levels (1.