Chiral 1,2- and 1,3-diol-functionalized chromophores as lego building blocks for coupled structures

Chiral nitroanilines containing 1,2- or 1,3-diol functionalities is synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of fluoronitroanilines with 1-aminopropane-2,3-diols and 2-aminopropane-1,3-diol in the melt. The results reveal that the functionalization of the amino nitrogen of p-nitroaniline derivatives with polar groups, which are not in direct n-pi conjugation with the aromatic system, also affects the solvatochromism of the pull-push system in a complex fashion.