Synthesis of 1′,3,3′,4-tetrahydrospiro[chromene-2,2′-indoles] as a new class of ultrafast light-driven molecular switch

A new class of ultrafast light-driven molecular switch has been designed and synthesized. The reaction of 1-substituted 2-methylidene-3,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indoles with 2-chloromethyl-4-nitrophenol afforded 1′,3,3′,4-tetrahydrospiro[chromene-2,2′-indoles], following a basic workup. The spectroscopic properties and nanosecond-resolved photoinduced dynamics of five compounds in the 1′,3,3′,4-tetrahydrospiro[chromene-2,2′-indole] family were investigated.