Synthesis, kinetics, and electrochemical properties of a new photochromic diarylethene

A novel photochromic diarylethene bearing a six-membered aryl unit, 1-[2-methyl-5-(3-methoxylphenyl)-3-thienyl]-2- (2-cyanophenyl)perfluorocyclopentene (1a), was synthesized and its photochromic and electrochemical properties were investigated. Diarylethene 1a changed the color from colorless to magenta upon irradiation with 297 nm UV light, in which absorption maxima were observed at 545 nm in hexane and at 551 nm in PMMA film, respectively. The results also showed that the cyclization/cycloreversion process of the compound was determined to be the zeroth/first order reaction, and the electrochemcial switching property can be potential use for electrochemistry data storage. Finally, photo-mode rewritable optical storage using 1a was performed. The images demonstrated that the compound as optical storage material was very sensitive responding to 633 nm recording laser, and the recorded-signals were provided with high S/N ratio.