Find in Library

Photochromic compounds are employed in implementing neuron surrogates. They will boost the development of neuromorphic engineering in wetware. In this work, the photochromic behaviours of (E)-3,4,6-trichloro-2-(<i>p</i>-diazenil)-phenol (<b><i>t</i>-DZH</b>) and its conjugated phenoxide base (<b><i>t</i>-DZ</b>) have been investigated experimentally in three different media: (1) pure acetonitrile, (2) in water and acetonitrile mixed in a 1/1 volume ratio, and (3) in an aqueous micellar solution of 3-(<i>N</i>,<i>N</i>-Dimethylmyristylammonio)propanesulfonate (SB3-14). The analysis of the spectral and kinetic features of <b><i>t</i>-DZH</b> and <b><i>t</i>-DZ</b> has been supported by quantum-mechanical DFT calculations, the maximum entropy method, and the determination of their colourability (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>C</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula>). The versatility of <b><i>t</i>-DZH</b> and <b><i>t</i>-DZ</b> makes them promising molecular probes of micro-environments and potential ingredients of photochemical oscillators required for implementing pacemaker neurons capable of communicating through optical signals in wetware.