Synthesis and Photophysical Characterization of Azoheteroarenes

A set of azoheteroarenes have been synthesized with Buchwald–Hartwig coupling and microwave-assisted O₂ oxidation as the key steps. Several compounds exhibit good to excellent photoswitching properties (high switching efficiency, good fatigue resistance, and thermal stability of Z-isomer) relevant for photocontrolled applications, which pave the way for use in photopharmacology.