Exploring rotational isomerism of fluorescent diarylethenes comprising 2-naphthyl and regioisomeric oxazoyl groups. A combined experimental and computational study

In the paper a phenomenon of rotational (conformational) isomerism within 1,2-diarylethenic compounds (DAE) comprising heteroarene ring of oxazole is explored on the example of the fluorescent naphthyl-vinyl-oxazole framework. In this regard three regioisomers of a n-(2-(naphthalen-2-yl)vinyl)oxazole molecule (nNVOx), differing in the oxazole substitution pattern (n = 2, 4, 5), are synthesized and methodically investigated by means of electronic UV–Vis spectroscopy combined with chemometric methods for spectral data analysis. Design of the experiments and interpretation of their output is additionally supported by quantum-chemical simulations based on the (TD) DFT methodology. As the result, all the studied nNVOx compounds are unveiled to simultaneously occur in form of at least two non-equivalent rotational isomers, varying in the conformation taken by the arene moieties with respect to the central vinyl fragment. The individual rotamers are then demonstrated to exhibit non-identical spectroscopic properties expressed by differences in corresponding absorption and fluorescence profiles, thereby ultimately confirming the impact of rotamerism onto the investigated molecular systems.