Synthesis, Properties and Application in Optical Memory of a New Photochromic Diarylethene

A new photochromic diarylethene compound, 1-[2-methyl-3-benzothiophene]-2- [5-(3-chlorobenzene)-2-methyl-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene(1a), was synthesized and its photochromism and photo-induced anisotropy was investigated. It showed good photochromism and functioned as an effective fluorescent photoswitch in solution. In hexane, the open-ring isomer of the diarylethene 1a exhibited relatively strong fluorescence at 417 nm when excited at 315 nm. In PMMA film, diarylethene 1a also showed good photochromism.