Synthesis and Characterization of Photo-Responsive Carbosilane Dendrimers.

Preparation of photo-responsive carbosilane dendrimers bearing 4-phenylazobenzonitrile units on their molecular surface has been accomplished, and their both photo and thermal behaviors have also been characterized. These functional dendrimers suggest that the apparent molecular sizes of the cis-isomers are smaller than those of the corresponding trans-isomers, since the molecular diameter of these dendrimers would be shorter on the basis of trans→cis photo-isomerization of azobenzene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]