Amorphous photochromic films based on spirophenanthro-oxazine

Two regimes of vacuum deposition of 1',3',3'- trimethylspiro[indoline-2',3-2H-1-phenanthro-[9,10- b][1,4]-oxazine] (SPO) leading to the formation of amorphous films showing photochromic properties were determined. It was established that at room temperature a thermal decoloration of these films does not occur. It was suggested that the complex absorption spectrum of colored film and the character of its change at a film storage on natural light are due to the formation of different SPO photoinduced form stereoisomers. The long-duration storage of the amorphous film leads to its crystallization with following loss of photochromic properties.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.