A highly selective fluorescent probe for Sn based on a new photochromic diarylethene with a phenol-containing Schiff base unit

A novel diarylethene with a phenol-containing Schiff base unit was successfully synthesized and its multi-responsive photoswitching property was investigated by the stimulation of base/acid and light. The diarylethene showed not only normal photochromism by photoirradiation, but also abnormal photochromism by base and light stimuli. By the stimulation of sodium hydroxide, the absorption maximum of its open-ring isomer showed extraordinarily large redshift of 60 nm, accompanied with a notable color change from colorless to yellow. Subsequent irradiation with 297 nm light further caused a dramatic change in its structure transformation from the deprotonated open-ring isomer to the original closed-ring isomer. Similarly, its deprotonated closed-ring isomer returned to its original open-ring isomer upon irradiation with appropriate visible light. Its deprotonated forms could be restored by the stimulation of hydrochloric acid. Moreover, the diarylethene could be served as a fluorescence probe for recognition of Sn²⁺ with high selectivity.