Synthesis, crystal structure and optoelectronic properties of a new unsymmetrical photochromic diarylethene

A new unsymmetrical photochromic diarylethene, 1-(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)-2-[2-methyl-5-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene (1a), was synthesized and its structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Its optical and electrochemical properties, including photochromic reactivity both in solution and in the solid state (PMMA film and the single-crystalline phase), fluorescence and electrochemical properties were investigated in detail. The compound showed excellent photochromism even in the single-crystalline phase by photo-irradiation. In acetonitrile, the open-ring isomer of diarylethene 1 exhibited relatively strong fluorescence at 470nm when excited at 300nm, and its emission intensity decreased along with the photochromism upon irradiation with 313nm light. Its closed-ring isomer showed almost no fluorescence. The electrochemical properties of diarylethene were investigated by performing cyclic voltammetry experiment and its HOMO and LUMO energy level were calculated.     

A proton and optic dual-control molecular switch based on photochromic diarylethene bearing a rhodamine unit

A novel fluorescent switch based on rhodamine B and photochromic diarylethene, 1-[2-methyl-5-(4-methoxylphenyl)-3-thienyl]-2-[2-methyl-5-(4-rhodamine B hydrazine-Schiff base-phenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene (1), has been successfully synthesized through the condensation of rhodamine B hydrazine and 1-[2-methyl-5-(4-methoxylphenyl)-3-thienyl]-2-[2-methyl-5-(4-formylphenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene. UV and FL measurements reveal that the compound exhibits good photochromic properties responsive to proton and optic dual inputs. Upon irradiation with 297 nm light, the colorless solution of compound 1 turns blue, while the blue solution becomes colorless after irradiated with visible light (λ>450 nm). Furthermore, upon an addition of H⁺, the fluorescence resonance energy transfers from the rhodamine unit (FRET donor) to the closed-ring diarylethene unit (FRET acceptor), although no energy transfer occurs when the diarylethene is in the open-ring form. The emission intensity of the rhodamine can be modulated with proton and UV/vis light and molecular-level signal communication has been constructed, indicating high potentials of the compound in molecular switches or naked eye recognition systems.     

Substituent position effect on the properties of new unsymmetrical isomeric diarylethenes having a chlorine atom

Three new unsymmetrical photochromic diarylethenes bearing a chlorine atom at para-, meta- and ortho-position of one terminal benzene ring, namely {1-(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)-2-[2-methyl-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-thienyl]}perfluorocyclopentene (para 1o), {1-(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)-2-[2-methyl-5-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-thienyl]}perfluorocyclopentene (meta 2o), and {1-(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)-2-[2-methyl-5-(2-chlorophenyl) -3-thienyl]}perfluorocyclopentene (ortho 3o), have been synthesized. The substituent position effect on their properties, including photochromism, fluorescence both in solution and in PMMA amorphous film and their electrochemical properties were investigated in detail. The results elucidated that the chlorine atom and its substituent position had a remarkable effect on the absorption characteristics, photochromic reactivity, fluorescence, as well as the electrochemical performances of these diarylethene compounds. For diarylethenes 1, 2 and 3, the cycloreversion quantum yields were gradually increased when the chlorine atom was attached to the para-, meta- and ortho-positions of the one terminal benzene rings; but their molar absorption coefficients both of their open-ring and closed-ring isomers were remarkably decreased. The fluorescent properties of para-substituted diarylethene embedded in poly(methyl methacylate) (PMMA) amorphous film showed good fluorescent switches (quenched to 28%). Furthermore, the cyclic voltammograms experiments elucidated that the electrochemical properties of these diarylethene derivatives were also remarkably dependent on the chlorine atom position effect, which may be attributed to the different electron-inducing ability and steric effect when the chlorine atom was substituted on the different position of the terminal benzene ring.     

Diastereoselective cyclization in chiral diarylethene crystals: polymorphism and selectivity

[structure: see text] An optically active photochromic diarylethene, (S)-1-(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)-2-[2-methyl-5-(4-(3-methyl-1-penten-1-yl)phenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene ((S)-1a), was synthesized. (S)-1a formed two crystalline phases, alpha- and beta-phases. The diarylethene underwent a photochromic reaction in solution and even in the single-crystalline phase. In solution, no diastereoselection was observed. On the other hand, in the beta-crystalline phase, only one diastereomer (S,R,R)-1b was produced. No such diastereoselection was observed in the alpha-crystalline phase.     

多波长存储材料的合成与存储实验研究

报道了用有机光致变色的二芳基乙烯化合物作为多波长光存储记录材料的合成、膜片制作和多波长存储实验。结果显示,分别用1,2-双(2,5-二甲基噻吩-3-基)全氟环戊烯、1,2-双(2-甲基-5-醛基噻吩-3-基)全氟环戊烯和1,2-双(2-甲基-5-(2,2-二氰基乙烯基)噻吩-3-基)全氟环戊烯作为多波长光存储的记录材料,采用旋涂法(spin-coating)制成存储膜片,对应的读写激光器的波长分别532、650和780nm,实现了三波长光存储的信息记录和读出。     

Chiral helicenoid diarylethene with highly diastereoselective photocyclization

A novel photochromic helicenoid diarylethene (R)-1-[1-(1-methoxymethoxyethyl)-2-naphtho[2,1-b]thienyl]-2-(2,4,5-trimethyl-3-thienyl)hexafluorocyclopentene was synthesized enantioselectively. It showed highly diastereoselective photocyclization (90% de) and a large change (950 degrees) in the specific optical rotation value at 633 nm upon UV light irradiation in ethyl acetate.     

Two-photon absorption of photochromic diarylethene and its application to rewritable holographic recording

A new photochromic diarylethene (1a) has been prepared. Both its photochromic behavior and nonlinear optical properties are investigated. 1a shows excellent ring-opening (λ_max = 386 nm) and ring-closing (λ_max = 652 nm) photoisomerization with UV-Vis light irradiation. With 800 nm femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation, 1a shows two-photon-induced photoisomerization, and a two-photon absorption cross-section (σ = 423×10⁵⁰ cm⁴·s per photon) is obtained by using two-photon induced fluorescence method. The applications of two-photon absorption of 1a to holographic recording has been also investigated. A two-photon induced micro-pattern is recorded on the diarylethene 1a-PMMA film with an femtosecond laser of 800 nm, 100 fs, 1 kHz, 50 mW.     

New photoswitching unit for magnetic interaction: diarylethene with 2,5-bis(arylethynyl)-3-thienyl group

Photoswitching of the intramolecular magnetic interaction was demonstrated using diarylethenes with 2,5-bis(arylethynyl)-4-methyl-3-thienyl side group. Two nitroxide radicals were placed at each end of the 2,5-bis(arylethynyl)-4-methyl-3-thienyl group. Three kinds of aryl groups, 2,5-thienylene, p-phenylene, and m-phenylene groups, were used in the arylethynyl moiety. The diarylethene photoswitching units have an extended pi-conjugated chain on one side of the diarylethene. The photochromic reactivity was dependent on the arylethynyl group. Diarylethenes with m-phenylene group showed an efficient photochromic reactivity. Along with the photochromic reaction the diarylethenes showed photoswitching of an ESR spectrum originating from the change in the magnetic interaction between two unpaired electrons. The open-ring isomer showed stronger exchange interaction than the photogenerated closed-ring isomer. The magnetic interaction between two radicals via the pi-conjugated chain was altered by photocyclization due to the change of the hybrid orbital at the 2-position of the thiophene ring from sp(2) to sp(3).     

Syntheses and optoelectronic properties of four photochromic dithienylethenes

Four photochromic dithienylethene compounds, 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-naphthalene-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene 1a, 1,2-bis[2-methyl-5(p-fluorophenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene 2a, 1,2-bis[2-methyl-5(p-ethoxyphenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene 3a, and 1,2-bis[2-methyl-5(p-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene 4a were synthesized, and their optoelectronic properties, such as photochromism in solution as well as in poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) amorphous films, fluorescences and electrochemical properties were investigated in detail. These dithienylethenes have shown good photochromic behavior both in solution and in PMMA amorphous film. All of them exhibited relatively strong fluorescence and gave a bathochromic shift upon increasing concentration in THF. The irreversible anodic oxidation of 1a, 2a and 4a was observed by performing cyclic voltammetry experiments.     

Crystal engineering of photochromic diarylethene single crystals

Photochromic performance of diarylethene single crystals was controlled by crystal engineering using non-covalent aromatic-aromatic interactions as the directional intermolecular force. A diarylethene derivative with two pentafluorophenyl groups, 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-pentafluorophenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (1a), formed stoichiometric co-crystals with benzene (Bz) and naphthalene (Np) by aryl-perfluoroaryl interactions. Face-to-face pi-stacking interactions between the pentafluorophenyl groups of 1a and the aromatic molecules are responsible for 2:1 and 1:1 stoichiometric compositions in 1a/Bz and 1a/Np co-crystals, respectively. The diarylethene underwent thermally stable and photoreversible photochromic reactions in a homo-crystal of 1a and co-crystals 1a/Bz and 1a/Np. The absorption spectra of the photogenerated closed-ring isomers varied depending on the conformation of the diarylethene molecules packed in the crystals. The diarylethene 1a also formed 1:1 stoichiometric co-crystals with different kinds of diarylethenes, 1,2-bis(2-ethyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (2a) and 1,2-bis[2-methyl-5-(1-naphthyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene (3a). Both co-crystals 1a/2a and 1a/3a showed photochromism. Although 1a, 2a, and 3a underwent efficient photocyclization reactions in their homo-crystals, highly selective photocyclization reactions of 2a or 3a were observed in the co-crystals. The selective reactions were confirmed by HPLC and X-ray crystallography. Excited energy transfers from 1a to 2a and from 1a to 3a are considered to occur and cause the selective reactions.     

Full-color photochromism of a fused dithienylethene trimer

A diarylethene fused trimer, 1-(5-(2-(3,5-dimethyl-2-thienyl)hexafluorocyclopententen-1-yl)-2,4-dimethyl-3-thienyl)-2-(5-(2-(2,4-dimethyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)hexafluorocyclopentene-1-yl)-2,4-dimethyl-3-thienyl)hexafluorocyclopentene, was synthesized. The diarylethene derivative showed full-color photochromic performance by choosing appropriate wavelength of light.     

Three bits eight states photochromic recording and nondestructive readout by using IR light

A photochromic polymer film containing three different diarylethene derivatives, that is, 1,2-bis(3,5-dimethyl-2-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (1), 1,2-bis(2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (2), and 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (3) was prepared. Upon UV irradiation, the three derivatives changed to their closed-ring isomers having different colors, yellow, red, and blue. They showed different spectra not only in UV/Vis region but also in the IR spectral region. Upon irradiation with visible light of appropriate wavelengths, each closed-ring isomer was selectively bleached, and three bits eight states recording was performed. The eight states could be read out nondestructively by using IR light of appropriate wavenumbers.     

Multiple storage of holograms in blocks of PMMA/MMA/Titanocenechloride

101 volume phase holograms are recorded at 514.5 nm by superposition in a 2.6 mm thick block of the polymeric system PMMA/MMA/Titanocenechloride. The sample has been rotated 0.1° between recordings. All volume phase holograms can be read out individually at the corresponding Bragg angles due to the high degree of angular selectivity in a thick storage medium. The holographic recording proceeds irreversibly. Hence a holographic write once — read only memory with very large storage capacity can be realized. The multiple storage capability of this optical recording medium is investigated experimentally.     

Synthesis, crystal structure and characterization of photochromic 1,2-bis{2-ethyl-5-[2-(1,3-dioxolane)]-3-thienyl}perfluorocyclopentene

A novel photochromic diarylethene, 1,2-bis{2-ethyl-5-[2-(1,3-dioxolane)]-3-thienyl}perfluorocyclopentene (BEDTP), was synthesized and its structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Its photochromic and fluorescent properties were also investigated. The results showed that this compound exhibited reversible photochromism, changing from colorless to magenta after irradiation with UV light both in solution and in the crystalline phase. In hexane solution, the open-ring isomer of BEDTP exhibited relatively strong fluorescence at 400 nm when excited at 282 nm. The fluorescence intensity decreased along with the photochromism upon irradiation with 254 nm light and its closed-ring isomer showed almost no fluorescence.     

卟啉-二芳基乙烯分子的合成及其无损读取性能

二噻吩乙烯是一类性能优良的有机光致变色化合物,在信息储存领域具有广阔的应用前景,本文以2-甲基噻吩、苯甲醛和吡咯为原料,经过多步反应合成了1-(2-甲基-3-噻吩基)-2-{2-甲基-5-{4-[4-(10,15,20-三苯基-5-卟啉基)苯基]氨基羰基苯基}-3-噻吩基}环戊烯(DTE-TPP),其结构经核磁共振波谱仪(NMR)、质谱(MS)和傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)表征确认,通过紫外-可见光谱研究了化合物的光致变色性能、抗疲劳性,并辅以荧光光谱探究了化合物的无损读取功能。结果表明,该化合物在254和660 nm的光照射下,发生可逆的光致变色反应,重复光照8次后其紫外-可见光谱与初始谱图相比无明显差异,显示出良好的抗疲劳性;当激发光为520 nm时,开、闭环异构体有较高的荧光对比度,有望实现数据的无损读取。     

Synthesis, structure and fluorescence of a novel diarylethene

The photochromic diarylethene, 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-(2-(1,3-dithiolpentane))-thien-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentene (BMDTP), has been synthesized in high yield and its structure was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The compound undergoes a photochromic reaction both in solution and in the single crystalline phase. In addition, its fluorescence property in solution is discussed.     

The allomorphism of a photochromic diarylethene

The photochromic diarylethene, 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-(2,2′-dicyanovinyl)-thien-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentene (1a), was synthesized by a novel method. Two kinds of single crystals of the compound were obtained depending on the different recrystallization conditions and their structures were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Allomorphism of the photochromic diarylethene was discovered. The compound underwent a photochromic reaction both in solution and in the single crystalline phase of the anti-parallel conformer.     

1,2-双[2-甲基-5-(3,4-二氟苯基)噻吩-3-基]全氟环戊烯的合成

在冰浴条件下, 2-甲基噻吩(1)与液溴反应生成3,5-二溴-2-甲基噻吩(2); 在－78 ℃条件下, 硼酸三丁酯加入2, 得到2-甲基-3-溴-5-硼酸基噻吩(3); 3,4-二氟溴苯与3反应得到2-甲基-3-溴-5-(3,4-二氟苯基)噻吩(4); 在－78 ℃下全氟环戊烯与4反应, 得到一种新的二芳基乙烯类光致变色化合物1,2-双[2-甲基-5-(3,4-二氟苯基)噻吩-3-基]全氟环戊烯(DT-1). 用IR, NMR, MS和元素分析确定了化合物DT-1的结构, 并对该化合物的光致变色特性进行了初步研究.     

Photochromic reactions of diarylethenes in single crystals with intermolecular O--H...N hydrogen-bonding networks

The crystal structures and photochromic performance of a single crystal of a diarylethene derivative possessing carboxyl groups, 1,2-bis(5-carboxyl-2-methyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (1 a), and cocrystals of 1 a with 4,4'-, 2,4'-, and 2,2'-bipyridines were examined. In crystal 1 a, a discrete cyclic structure was observed, in which four 1 a molecules are linked through hydrogen bonds between the carboxyl groups. In the homocrystal, photoreactive and photoinactive conformers of 1 a exist in the ratio of 1:1. In the cocrystals of 1 a with bipyridines, O--HN-type hydrogen bonds between 1 a and pyridyl groups were formed, and all 1 a molecules are fixed in a photoreactive conformation. Both the homocrystal 1 a and the cocrystals showed photochromic performances, and color variation from bluish-violet to cyan was observed, depending on the conformation of the packed diarylethene molecules.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of 1-(2-Methyl-5-formyl-3-thienyl)-2-(2-methoxylphenyl)perfluorocyclopentene

A new family of photochromic diarylethene compounds, 1-(2-methyl-5-formyl-3- thienyl)-2-(2-methoxylphenyl)perfluorocyclopentene (1o) having an unsymmetrically substituted hexafluorocyclopentene unit, was synthesized and its structure was determined. The crystal belongs to the monoclinic system, space group P21/c with a = 15.4866(5), b = 9.0744(9), c = 12.6906(3), β = 90.1480(10)°, Z = 4, V = 1783.4(3)3, Dc = 1.513 mg/m3, μ = 0.25, F(000) = 824, the final R = 0.0579 and wR = 0.1566 for 2584 observed reflections (I > 2σ(I)). Interestingly, a colorless compound 1o undergoes photocyclization upon irradiation of UV light to give the blue isomer diarylethene. Upon irradiation with visible light with wavelength greater than 510 nm, the blue compound can return to its initial colorless state.