Photoresponsive Organogelator: Utilization of Boron(III) Diketonate as a Building Block To Construct Multiresponsive Materials

A class of dithienylethene-containing boron(III) diketonates with long alkoxy chains, together with their corresponding β-diketone ligands, has been prepared and characterized. The photophysics, electrochemistry, and photochromism of the compounds have been investigated. Some of them exhibit gelation behavior, which has been explored by variable-temperature UV–vis absorption studies, and the morphology of the gels has been studied by electron microscopy. In addition, the organogels have been found to be photoresponsive with color changes under photoexcitation, leading to the construction of multiresponsive boron(III) diketonate-based materials.