Dynamics of changes in the colored form of spiroantrooxazine incorporated into polytetrafluoroethylene F-42 in a supercritical carbon dioxide medium

Abstract

It is shown that the incorporation of spiroantrooxazine (SAO), which has pronounced photochromic properties, into polytetrafluoroethylene F-42 in supercritical carbon dioxide medium leads to the formation of metastable colored photochromic states of different structure. In the subsequent relaxation of the polymer-SAO system, these states give rise to the most thermodynamically stable isomeric form of SAO for the given system. The kinetics of these reactions is analyzed in supercritical CO2 medium and after placing the test sample in air upon the formation of the unstable colored form of the photochromic molecule in the polymeric matrix. It is noted that in these cases, comparison of the rate constants of relaxation transitions allows us to numerically assess how the matrix plasticization by carbon dioxide affects the formation of photochromic colored states and the relaxation reorganization of the photochromic metastable forms.