On the Bromination of the Dihydroazulene / Vinylheptafulvene Photo- / Thermoswitch

Radical bromination on two different VHFs by using N-bromosuccinimide/benzoyl peroxide and light, followed by a ringclosure reaction generated the corresponding 3-bromo-DHAs, as confirmed in one case by X-ray crystallography. According to a 1H NMR spectroscopic study, the ring closure of the brominated VHF seemed to occur readily under the reaction conditions. A subsequent bromination–elimination protocol provided a 3,7-dibromo-DHA. In contrast, treating the known 7-bromo-DHA with bromine generated a very labile species that was converted to a new 3,7-dibromoazulene, i.e., the fully unsaturated species. Azulenes were also found to form from brominated compounds when left standing for a long time in the solid state. Kinetics measurements reveal that the 3-bromo substituent enhances the rate of the thermal conversion of the VHF to DHA, which is opposite to the effect exerted by a bromo substituent in the seven-membered ring.