Abstract
Non-activated indolinobenzospiropyrans, 6-(p-substituted phenylazo)-1',3',3'-trimethylspiroindolinobenzopyrans(1-4) have been synthesized by the reaction of commercially available Fischer's base with 2-hydroxy-5-arylazobenzaldehyde (S1-S4). The arylazosalicylaldehydes were obtained from the diazocoupling reaction of substituted anilines with salicylaldehyde. The rate of spiro-ring formation from the open form of these nonactivated spiropyran derivatives at room temperature has been investigated utilizing the stopped-flow method de-veloped earlier. Half life times $(t_{1/2})$ of the ring-closure reaction in ethanol are about 0.3-14 seconds for the nonactivated spiropyrans examined. UV-Visible absorption spectral data of the open merocyanine form of nonactivated spiropyrans, which showed no chromotropism at room temperature, have also been obtained.