Photochromic Properties of New Benzoindene‐Fused 2H‐Chromenes

The synthesis and the photochromic properties of new photochromic 6,7‐ and 7,8‐benzoindene annellated benzopyrans are described. When compared to parent indeno‐fused 2H‐chromenes (2H‐[1]benzopyrans), compounds 10 and 12 exhibit a significant bathochromic shift of maximum‐absorption wavelength, an increase in the colorability, and similar fading rates.     

2,2-二芳基取代萘并吡喃类光致变色化合物的合成与性能研究

从光消色速度和最大吸收强度两个角度出发, 用Grignard试剂和萘并吡喃-2|酮合成了一系列2,2-二芳基取代萘并吡喃类光致变色化合物, 并用 1H NMR, IR, MS和元素分析确定其结构. 研究了其紫外-可见光谱, 并探讨了紫外-可见光谱和光致变色性能之间的关系, 分析了其结构和光消色速度之间的关系, 初步探索到光消色速度快慢和取代基位置之间的规律, 为实用化的有机光致变色化合物的合成提供了有价值的参考依据.     

萘并吡喃光致变色荧光开关研究进展

萘并吡喃及其衍生物是经典的光致变色材料,具有很低的背景颜色、优良的光致变色抗疲劳性、易于调控的变色动力学、开环体具有宽的吸收等优点,受到了研究者的重视。本文综述了近几年来作者课题组利用萘并吡喃构建光致变色荧光开关的研究进展,通过将荧光基团和萘并吡喃以掺杂模式、共聚物和有机小分子等形式构建光致变色荧光开关,研究了它们在溶液和薄膜中的荧光开关性能,初步探讨了萘并吡喃荧光开关在非破坏性读出和荧光成像等方面的应用潜能。     

含氯化铜的紫精/聚合物薄膜制备及光致变色性能研究

将氯化铜加入到紫精/聚乙烯吡咯烷酮中,制得了一种可快速褪色、光疲劳性能优异的紫精/聚合物光致变色薄膜,测试了该薄膜的变色性能、褪色性能及光疲劳性能.结果表明,氯化铜的加入使薄膜初次紫外光照时的颜色变浅,但加快了薄膜褪色;当氯化铜与紫精摩尔比为1:1、60℃褪色时,薄膜光照后在610 nm处吸光度的半衰期为9 min,而不合氯化铜的薄膜为54 min,氯化铜含量越高,半衰期越短.含有氯化铜的薄膜,随变色/褪色循环次数增加,光照后的显色加深,氯化铜含量越高,颜色增加的程度越大.该功能薄膜可用于信息存储、太阳镜及智能窗等方面.     

Accelerating the thermal fading rate of photochromic naphthopyrans by pillar[5]arene-based conjugated macrocycle polymer

A new micro-spherical conjugated macrocycle polymer (P[5]-TFB-CMP) was prepared by the condensation reaction between dihydrazide functionalized pillar[5]arene and 1,3,5-triformylbenzene under ambient conditions. P[5]-TFB-CMP exhibits large surface area with excellent thermal stability and has been used as additive to prepare composite PMMA film of photochromic naphthopyrans. The results showed that the addition of P[5]-TFB-CMP could dramatically accelerate the thermal fading rate of the photochromic composite film by up to 12 times. This is a new strategy to overcome the drawback of the matrix effect.     

水溶性高分子对聚紫罗精光致变色性能的影响

用光谱法研究了四种水溶性高分子(聚乙烯吡咯烷酮PVP、聚乙烯醇PVA、明胶、聚丙烯酰胺PAM)对聚丁基紫罗精溴化物(PBV)的光致变色行为的影响。PBV的变色(还原)速率按PVP>明胶>PVA>PAM的顺序递减。在聚乙烯醇介质中,PBV的还原为二级反应。测定了暗回复(退色)速率,发现其服从一级反应规律,用电子顺磁共振法得到同样的结果。     

Photochromism of a water-soluble vesicular [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimer

Here we report the first photochromism of a newly designed [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimer in water. The photochromic dye with a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic substituent forms vesicles in water and shows instantaneous colouration upon UV light irradiation and successive rapid fading in the dark.     

Highly fluorescent chameleon nanoparticles and polymer films: multicomponent organic systems that combine FRET and photochromic switching

We describe the preparation of highly efficient stimulus-responsive fluorescence color-tuning in self-assembled supramolecular scaffold systems. The systems consisted of a photochromic compound (BP-BTE) in combination with unique luminescent organic materials (CN-MBE, TPS-CNMBE, TPA-2CNMBE) that exhibited intense fluorescence in the solid state. The emission spectrum was tuned by introducing fluorescence resonance energy transfer and photochromic switching capabilities into the system. The materials were used to successfully demonstrate novel fluorescence patterns that were responsive to multiple stimuli, displayed reversible fluorescence switching, and provided a nondestructive readout of the fluorescence signal.     

Influence of (2,3,4,5,6-pentamethyl/phenyl)phenyl scaffold: stereoelectronic control of the persistence of o-quinonoid reactive intermediates of photochromic chromenes

Regioisomeric photochromic chromenes 1Ch-6Ch substituted with the (2,3,4,5,6-pentamethyl/phenyl)phenyl scaffold were designed to delve into stereoelectronic effects on the spectrokinetic properties of photogenerated o-quinonoid reactive intermediates. While the latter derived from 1Ch, 2Ch, 4Ch, and 5Ch were found to exhibit notable persistence, those from 3Ch and 6Ch were found to revert rapidly at room temperature to preclude visible coloration. The intermediates of 1Ch and 2Ch were found to be marginally more stable than those of 4Ch and 5Ch, respectively, attesting to the possibility of toroidal conjugation via C(ipso)-π orbitals in the former. The rapid reversion of the intermediates of 3Ch and 6Ch is attributed to unfavorable electronic repulsion between the phenyl ring of the (pentamethyl/phenyl)phenyl scaffold and one of the lone-pairs of the o-quinonoid oxygen. Thus, the regioisomerically substituted photochromic chromenes are shown to permit control of the reversion, very rapidly as well as slowly, of the colored o-quinonoid intermediates through operation of stereoelectronic effects differently.     

Photochromism of a radical diffusion-inhibited hexaarylbiimidazole derivative with intense coloration and fast decoloration performance

We report the synthesis and the photochromic behavior of a newly designed, photochromic, radical diffusion-inhibited hexaarylbiimidazole (HABI) derivative with markedly improved photochromic performance in coloration and decoloration rates as well as greater optical density in the colored state. The thermal bleaching rate (tau1/2 = 260 ms at 295 K) is the fastest among the reported ones for HABI derivatives.     

Photochromism of spiropyran nanocrystals embedded in sol-gel matrices

Spectroscopic and kinetic properties of a new photochromic medium, consisting of nanocrystals of spyropyran molecules (1,3-dihydro-1,3,3,5',6',pentamethyl-spiro[2H-indole-2,2'-[2H]pyrano [3,2-b]pyridinium] iodide) embedded in an organo-silicate sol-gel film, are presented and compared to microcrystals obtained by slow evaporation of a solvent. High photoconversion efficiencies for both kinds of crystals have been observed. In microcrystals, the photomerocyanine form absorbs at 570 nm with a fading rate of 5 h, in nanocrystals the photomerocyanine form absorbs at 535 nm with a fading rate of 41 h. Therefore, the crystalline structure of nanocrystals is different from the microcrystal one.     

Tunable Photochromism in the Robust Dithienylethene‐Containing Phospholes: Design,Synthesis, Characterization,Electrochemistry, Photophysics,and Photochromic Studies

A series of dithienylethene‐containing phosphole derivatives has been designed, synthesized and characterized. One of the compounds has been characterized by X‐ray crystallography. Upon photoexcitation, the compounds exhibit drastic color changes, ascribed to the reversible photochromic behavior. Their photochromic, photophysical and electrochemical properties have been studied. They show photochromic reactivities with high photocyclization quantum yields. Their photophysical and photochromic properties are found to be facilely tuned in this system by substitution at the phosphole backbone, as well as variation on the extent of π‐conjugation of the phosphole backbone. Some selected compounds have been demonstrated to exhibit photochromic properties in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films.     

Visible light responsive spiropyran derivatives based on dynamic coordination bonds

Spiropyrans (SPs) are a well-known class of photochromic compounds and have found widespread application due to their unique properties. However, for many conventional SPs, high energy ultraviolet (UV) light is commonly essential to drive photoisomerization, leading to poor fatigue resistance. Moreover, the practical application of spiropyrans is hindered by their fast fading speed due to the instability of closed forms (SP) or open forms (MC). Herein, we disclose a novel strategy to address these challenges through introducing both electron-donating substituents to stabilize the SP and dynamic coordination bonds to stabilize the MC. The resulting new spiropyrans complexes exhibit negative photochromic properties, with fast visible light response, good stability of both SP and MC, and significantly improved fatigue resistance.     

新型螺吡喃化合物的合成及应用研究

设计合成了几种新型螺吡喃化合物(SP), 采用¹H NMR, IR 和MS 对其结构进行表征. 研究了目标产物的光致变色性能及其影响因素, 并对SP1 在高分子材料领域的应用作了初步研究. 结果表明: 苯并吡喃环连有强吸电子基时, 最大吸收峰红移; 1 位N原子上连有柔性长链基团时, 热褪色速率较慢; 采用紫外光照射目标产物不同时间, SP1 表现出较好的抗光疲劳性. 分别以SP1 为接枝组分和共混组分制备两种高分子材料SP-g-hPMMA 和SP-m-PMMA, 通过紫外光辐照动力学研究表明, SP-g-hPMMA 和SP-m-PMMA 均表现出比SP1 优异的光致变色性能, 且不影响PMMA 的机械性能. SP1 有望用于高分子光致变色材料领域.     

Photochromism of dihydroindolizines. Part XV: Synthesis and photophysical properties of dihydroindolizine photoswitches bearing a conjugated aryleneethynylene tripodal linker system

Abstract  

Different photochromic dihydroindolizines (DHIs) bearing conjugated aryleneethynylene tripodal linker systems were synthesized using several Sonogashira coupling reactions. The spirocyclopropene precursors incorporating different acetylenic bridge moieties at the 2-position of the fluorene moiety were synthesized via chemical and photochemical routes. Multiaddressable photochromic properties of the DHI derivatives substituted in the fluorene (region A) and pyridazine (region C) parts were studied. Optimization of the formation of the DHIs was also done by applying different palladium-mediated Sonogashira coupling reactions. Irradiation of the photochromic DHIs with polychromatic light led to colored betaines which undergo thermal 1,5-electrocyclization. The kinetics of the thermal 1,5-electrocyclization were studied by using a multichannel FT–UV–Vis spectrophotometer. A pronounced effect on the kinetic behavior of the 1,5-electrocyclization process of the betaines was observed by changing substitution from non-substituted to dimethyl-substituted pyridazines. Photodegradation experiments and the bleaching and fading cycles revealed high photostability of the betaines under investigation. These properties of betaines of tripodal linker conjugates will help these materials to find applications.     

Structure, photochromic, and electrochemical properties of dioctadecylamine/H3PMo12(O)40 Langmuir-Blodgett film

We used the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique to construct a well-defined and structure-controllable photochromic material-a highly ordered multilayer film composed of dioctadecylamine and 12-molybdophosphoric acid (PMo12). We identified well-ordered lamellar structures using X-ray diffraction, polarized IR, and Raman spectra, and we determined a packing model of the two components in the LB film. We found the Keggin structure and fundamental features of the PMo12 ion to be maintained in the hybrid film. This hybrid LB film displayed photochromic properties upon UV light irradiation and we observed the following process from first-order kinetics. The photochromism exhibited the ability to switch between colorless and blue. A fading process occurred when the film was exposed to ambient air or O2 in the dark. During the color change, the packing structure of the film was well maintained. We also examined the electrochemical behavior of the hybrid LB film by cyclic voltammetry in detail and we propose different kinetic mechanisms for the film before and after irradiation.     

Formation of photo-functional spiroxazine monolayers and their dielectric constant determination using surface plasmon resonance

Spiroxazine are of considerable interest as photochromic materials because of their application. On the other hand, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a well-known optical method for measuring optical constants of thin film. In this study, photochromic materials were used as self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of newly synthesized spiroxazine derivatives. We used Fresnel equation (four-layer model) to determine the precise dielectric constant () of the photochromic monolayers. Structure changes of spiroxazine derivatives under UV-light irradiation resulted in the change of optical constants, the dielectric constant and thickness. The obtained results indicated that the ring opening of photochromic spiroxazine can lead to the decrease in the dielectric constant and thickness.     

Photochromic properties of [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimer with increased photosensitivity by introducing pyrenyl moiety

The photochromic [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimers show instantaneous coloration upon exposure to UV light and rapid fading in the dark. A new [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimer, pseudogem-PPI-DPI[2.2]PC, with high photosensitivity to UVA radiation was developed. To enhance the photosensitivity, we introduced pyrenyl moieties to the [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimer. The localized π-π* transition of pyrenyl moieties appears in the UVA radiation region by introducing a pyrenyl moietiy on the 4-position of the imidazole rings. The expansion of the π-electron system also affects the absorption spectrum of the colored species. The broad absorption band of the colored species covers the whole range of visible light region and its absorbance is approximately equal throughout the visible light region. Thus, pseudogem-PPI-DPI[2.2]PC shows the photochromic reaction coloring black upon light irradiation and successive fast thermal bleaching following the monoexponential kinetics with a time constant of 12 ms at room temperature.     

Enhanced Photochromism of Diarylethene Induced by Excitation of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance on Regular Arrays of Gold Nanoparticles

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) excitation on the photochromic reaction of a diarylethene derivative (DE) was studied by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). UV and visible light irradiations transform reversibly DE between open-form (OF) and closed-form (CF) isomers, respectively. A mixture of PMMA and DE (either OF or CF isomer) was spin-coated onto gold nanorods (GNRs) arrays, designed by electron beam lithography, with two localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) at distinct wavelengths, due to their anisotropy. The photochromic reaction rates from CF to OF isomers, under LSPR excitation, were monitored from SERS spectral changes under different polarizations, on the same GNR substrate to compare the effect of LSPR field strength. It appears that the photoisomerization rate was faster when LSPR was excited with the polarization parallel to the GNR long axis. The present results highlight a potential genuine mechanism, from near field LSPR excitation, involved in the photochromic enhancement of diarylethene photochromes.     

Comprehensive understanding of structure- photosensitivity relationships of photochromic [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimers

The photochromic [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimers show instantaneous coloration upon exposure to UV light and rapid fading in the dark. Experimental details for the enhancement of the photosensitivity and the unique photoisomerization of newly designed [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimers are demonstrated. We explored the structure-property relationships and demonstrated an efficient strategy for designing high-performance fast-photochromic molecules with increased photosensitivity to solar UVA radiation. The [2.2]paracyclophane-bridged imidazole dimer consists of two types of imidazole rings, Im1 and Im2. Im1 is characterized by a 6π electron system with an electron-donating characteristic, whereas Im2 is distinguished by a 4π electron system with an electron-withdrawing characteristic. The introduction of electron-donating substituents into the phenyl rings attached to the electron-withdrawing Im2 was proved to enhance the photosensitivity with the aid of the intramolecular charge transfer transitions. The unique photoisomerization resulting from the changes in the bonding manner between two imidazole rings was also investigated in detail.