Picosecond laser photolysis studies on photochromic reactions of 1,2-bis(2,4,5-trimethyl-3-thienyl)maleic anhydride in solutions

Abstract

Picosecond laser photolysis and transient absorption spectroscopy were applied to the direct observation of the photochromic reactions, such as ring-closure and ring-opening processes, of 1,2-bis(2,4,5-trimethyl-3-thienyl)maleic anhydride in solutions. Both in the ring-closure and the ring-opening processes, very rapid ( < 10 ps) reaction channels were found. The mechanisms of ultrafast reaction processes and their solvent dependence were discussed.