Photoinduced spectral changes in hybrid thin films of functional dyes and inorganic layered material

Abstract

The cooperative photoresponsive organic–inorganic hybrid films consisting of a cyanine dye, a diarylethene dye and an inorganic layered material were prepared and their photoresponsive properties were investigated. Both dyes were confined by the oriented inorganic layered material. The pronounced spectral change attributed to the cyanine dye was induced in the hybrid film upon irradiation of UV light, though the cyanine dye itself does not show any change upon the irradiation. The photoisomerizaition of the diarylethene affected the aggregation of the cyanine dye, which led to the decrease of the absorption intensity and the appearance of new bands due to the cyanine dye.