Development of Indigo Derivatives as Functional Molecules with Novel Photochemical Properties

在第一年中，我们完成了对靛蓝单-N-芳基化反应的优化。通过使用铜催化剂和廉价的试剂，我们能够在温和的反应条件下实现选择性和高效的转化。底物范围的考察表明，可以包含各种有用的官能团，这对青黛未来在多个科学领域的应用至关重要。有了这些化合物，我们构建了一系列的光开关，并研究了它们在红光照射下的光化学性质。特别是，通过数据科学的方法，将热稳定性与通过计算获得的结构描述符关联起来，这是预测新化合物性质的有用工具。另一方面，在一个国际合作项目中，我们成功地确定了聚合物薄膜中蓝光红光开关的关键参数。这项研究对于了解它们在溶液和固态环境中的不同行为是至关重要的。总体而言，这些工作推进了对青黛作为功能分子的认识和利用，为今后的研究奠定了重要的基础。

During the first year, we completed the optimization of indigo mono-N-arylation. By using copper catalyst and inexpensive reagents, we were able to achieve selective and efficient transformation under mild reaction conditions. The examination of substrate scope revealed that various useful functional groups can be included, which is crucial for future applications of indigos in multiple scientific fields. With these compounds in hand, we built a series of photoswitches and studied their photochemical properties under red-light irradiation. In particular, by using data science approaches, the thermal stabilities were correlated with structural descriptors obtained by computations, which serves as a useful tool for predicting the properties of novel compounds. On the other hand, in an international collaborative project, we successfully identified the key parameters for red-light-enabled photoswitching of indigos in polymer thin films. This study is critical in understanding their different behaviors between solution and solid-state environment. Overall, these works have moved forward the understanding and utility of indigos as functional molecules and laid the important foundation for future studies.