Photo-Switchable Aggregation-Induced Emission of Bisthienylethene-Dipyrimido[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazole Triad.

Shan-Shan Gong,Chun-Hong Zheng,Shou-Zhi Pu,Zhen-Zhen Chen,Mei Chi,Dong-Zhao Yang,Qi Sun

doi:10.3390/molecules26175382

Shan-Shan Gong, Chun-Hong Zheng + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26175382

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Abstract

A bisthienylethene-dipyrimido[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazole (BTE-2PBT) triad has been designed and synthesized based on our recent discovery of PBTs as atypical propeller-shaped novel AIEgens. The triad not only maintains the photochromic properties of BTE moiety in solution, film, and solid state but also exhibits remarkable AIE properties. Moreover, the fluorescence of BTE-2PBT PMMA film could be modulated with high contrast by alternate UV and visible light irradiation. Photoerasing, rewriting, and non-destructive readout of fluorescent images on BTE-2PBT PMMA film well demonstrate its potential application as optical memory media.

Highlights

Photochromic diarylethenes have been acknowledged for their excellent photochemical reactivity, thermal stability, and fatigue resistance [1,2] and widely applied as photoresponsive materials in a variety of photonic devices [3]
500–650 nm upon cyclization enables diarylethenes to function as photo-responsive energy acceptors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) pairs
Most of these fluorescent photoswitches inevitably suffer from aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), which greatly limits their applications as high-density optical materials [8]

Summary

Introduction

Photochromic diarylethenes have been acknowledged for their excellent photochemical reactivity, thermal stability, and fatigue resistance [1,2] and widely applied as photoresponsive materials in a variety of photonic devices [3]. The open-ring isomers of diarylethenes are weakly fluorescent depending on the nature of attached heteroaryl rings, but the fluorescence is typically quenched due to the formation of a larger conjugation system upon photo-induced ring closure. Diarylethene alone is not an ideal photo-switchable fluorophore. 500–650 nm upon cyclization enables diarylethenes to function as photo-responsive energy acceptors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) pairs. Most of these fluorescent photoswitches inevitably suffer from aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), which greatly limits their applications as high-density optical materials [8]

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Discussion

Conclusion