The present application describes a method for information storage and data processing
comprising the steps of thermo inducing or photo inducing double-bond shifts (DBS)
in substituted (4n)-annulenes thus generating transitions between two different
conjugation states with at least one substituent. The two different conjugation
states are the conjugation on-state and conjugation off-state of the annulene core
-electrons with the substituent -electrons. The present invention
is furthermore related to novel substituted (4n)-heptalenes being optically
and/or thermally switchable, based on thermal or photochemical double-bond shifts
(DBS) as well as methods for their preparation. The (4n)-heptalenes can
be used for information storage and data processing devices.
