2,8-Dihalogenated diazocines: versatile reactants for functionalised photoswitches

Diazocine photoswitches possess distinctive structural characteristics and remarkable photochemical properties, leading to their growing application in photopharmacology and smart materials. We report the synthesis of 2,8-pseudo-para substituted diazocines with two bromo, two iodo, or a combination of both substituents, achieving effective scalability. Besides demonstrating good reactivity in Suzuki cross-coupling reactions, the substituted diazocines predominantly retain their good photochemical properties, rendering them valuable components for said applications.