Synthesis and Photochromism Properties of a Novel Hybrid Diarylethene
A novel unsymmetrical diarylethene derivative 1-[2-methyl-5-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-3-thienyl]-2-[2-methyl-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-thienyl]hexafluorocyclopentene (1a) was designed and successfully synthesized. The properties of the compound, including photochromic and electrochemical properties of the diarylethene were also investigated systematically. The results showed that this compound exhibited reversible photochromism, reversible cyclization and cycloreversion reactions upon alternating irradiation with UV and visible light both in solution and in PMMA film, and its absorption maxima were observed at 606 nm in methanol and at 613 nm in PMMA amorphous film, respectively, upon irradiation with 297 nm UV light. Besides, the electrochemcial switching property can be potential use for electrochemistry data storage.