It was shown by electron absorption spectroscopy and X ray diffraction analysis that steric strains in photochromic 2 (N acyl N arylaminomethylene)benzo [b]thiophen 3(2Н ) one mol ecules ortho substituted in the N phenyl ring increase the quantum yield of the N→O photo induced rearrangement in accord with an increase in the steric constant of the ortho sub stituent.✾ Photochromism of 2 (N acyl N arylaminomethyl ene)benzo[b]thiophen 3(2Н ) ones (1) is based on photo initiated Z/E isomerization relatively to the С=С bond followed by the thermal N→O migration of the acyl group (Scheme 1). 1,2Compounds of this type (λ max (1) > λ max (2)) are of interest as systems with negative photochromism, 3,4 whose molecules can accumulate the light energy released dur ing the catalytically controlled process 2 → 1. A wide vari ability of their structures also predetermined a possibility of using ketoenamines 1 as chemosensors for metal cat ions 5,6 (1e), molecular switches of an optical signal 7 (1f), and fluorescent sensors for a change of the pH of a me dium 8 (1g) acting according to principle of the РЕТ ef fect. 9 Reasons for the appearance of chiral properties of ketoenamines 1 ortho substituted in the N phenyl ring were studied. 10 The examples presented show that the structure of a molecule of the type 1, in particular, spatial interactions between the N aryl and N acyl substituents and the heterocyclic moiety, can exert a determining ef fect on the spectral luminescence properties and photo chromism of these compounds. Nevertheless, a relation ship between steric interactions in the ground state in molecules of this type and their spectral and photochemi cal properties (λ max , ε max , λ b ,* ϕ 1→2 ) has not been studied up to date. It can be useful to establish such a relationship for design of chiral chemosensors or switches of an optical signal. According to this, the following tasks of the present Scheme 1 * Long wave absorption boundary λ b with ε ≈ 1.0 L mol -1 cm -1 .