Study on Material Properties with Synthesis and Property of a Novel Unsymmetrical Photochromic Diarylethene

A novel unsymmetrical diarylethene derivative bearing both benzofuran and thiophene moieties, 1-(2-methyl--3-benzofuranyl)-2-[(2-methyl-3-thienyl-5-thienyl)-3-thieny perfluorocyclopentene (1o), was synthesized. At the same time, its photochromic properties were investigated in detail. The results showed that this compound exhibited reversible photochromism, undergoing reversible cyclization and cycloreversion reactions upon alternating irradiation with UV and visible light both in solution and in PMMA film, and its absorption maxima were observed at 523 nm in hexane and at 539 nm in PMMA amorphous film, respectively, upon irradiation with 297 nm UV light. Finally, using this diarylethene as recording medium, polarization optical recording was carried out successfully.