Study on Photochromic Materials with Photochromic and Optical Storage Composite Properties of a Novel Diarylethene

A new unsymmetrical isomeric photochromic diarylethene, 1-[2-methyl-3-benzothiophen-2-[2-methyl-5-(10-phenanthrenyl)-3-thienyperfluorocyclopentene, was designed and synthesized. Its photochromic and fluorescent properties were also investigated in detail. The compound exhibited excellent photochromism, changing from colorless to medium violetred after irradiation with UV light both in solution and in PMMA film. Furthermore, the fluorescence intensity of the photochromic diarylethene1adeclined remarkably, when irradiation with UV light. Using this diarylethene 1a as optical storage and fluorescence switches was performed successfully.