Cu2+ ions are reported
to catalyze the thermal isomerization
(TI) of cis-azobenzene. It was found that some alkali
halides (NaCl, KCl, NaBr, and KBr) also catalyze the TI of 4-dimethylamino-azobenzene
in ethanol. These tendencies were attributed to the interaction between
the azo group and the cation based on experimental data and density
functional theory (DFT) calculations. Some Na salts (CH3COONa, Na2HPO4, and Na2SO3) were found to inhibit the TI of 4-dimethylamino-azobenzene in ethanol.
It is inferred that the weak acid ions in these salts decrease the
concentration of H+ ions that catalyze the TI process.