Photochromic fluorescent diarylethene nanocrystals grown in sol–gel thin films

Abstract Nanocrystals of two diarylethene compounds, 1,2-bis(2-ethyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene (D1) and 1,2-bis(3-methyl-2-thienyl)ethene (D2), were grown in sol–gel thin films and their optical properties (fluorescence and photo-conversion) were compared to that of diarylethene microcrystals.