TQ ). The four possible ring-chain tautomers were unequivocally characterised by a combination of 1 H NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis. Furthermore, two of the tautomers, H 2 L 1 SB and H 2 L 2 TQ , have been characterised by X-ray crystallography. Crystal data of E-H 2 L 1 SB have revealed the existence of a prototropic ketoenamine-enolimine equilibrium at room temperature that is the cause of the thermochromism of H 2 L 1 SB .Scheme 3 Top: Photographs of a powdery sample of H 2 L 1 SB at room temperature (left), and after immersion in liquid nitrogen (right). Bottom: Prototropic ketoenamine-enolimine equilibrium of H 2 L 1 SB . Fig. 2 Molecular structure of E-H 2 L 1 SB with its labelling scheme. The strong intramolecular O3/N2 interaction, with the most occupied position for H3 (67%) is shown.This journal is