Synthesis of a New Unsymmetrical Photochromic Diarylethene for Polarization Multiplexing Holographic Recording

A new photochromic diarylethene, (1-(2-methyl-5- phenyl-3-thienyl)-2-(2-methyl-4-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1- phenyl))perfluorocyclopentene (1a), was synthesized and its optoelectronic properties, such as photochromism in solution as well as in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) amorphous films, fluorescences and Photon-mode polarization multiplexing holographic recording were investigated. The compound exhibits good photochromism with UV/visible light irradiation. Diarylethene 1a changed the color from colorless to violet upon irradiation with 313 nm UV light, in which absorption maxima were observed at 560 nm in hexane and at 573 nm in PMMA amorphous film, respectively. This new photochromic system also exhibited remarkable fluorescence intensity and clear fluorescent switches by photoirradiation both in solution and in PMMA film. Finally, rewritable holographic optical storage using 1a was performed. The results demonstrated that different polarization images can be hidden in the pattern and recorded in the recording medium, resulting from the photochromic and photoinduced anisotropic properties of this compound.