The time-resolved spectra of a crowned indolinospiroben-zopyran

The photochromic process of an indolinospiropyran with a crown ether fragment (BN-BIPS) was studied by nanosecond laser photolysis technique. The results show that quinonic merocyanine B was formed via an excited singlet state from BN-BIPS; in acetonitrile solution, the transient absorption of merocyanine B showed an obvious decay while a new transient absorption at 440nm (from isomer C) was observed simultaneously. The decay of merocyanine B and the formation of isomer C (at 440nm) were accelerated in the presence of alkali metal cation. In contrast, the formation of isomer C was not observed in spiropyran without a crown ether fragment: BIPS.