Relationship between activation volume and polymer matrix effects on photochromic performance: bridging molecular parameter to macroscale effect.

Abstract

Photochromic compounds have attracted attention as ophthalmic lenses because of their reversible color modulation upon irradiation with light. However, the efficiency of the photochromism is strongly affected by their surrounding because of the structural changes concomitant with the photochromism, which causes the decrease in the photochromic performance in the polymer matrix. Therefore, the clarification of the degree of the structural changes is necessary to apply to the ophthalmic lenses. Bridged imidazole dimers are one of the fast photoswitch molecules possessing high photochromic quantum yield and durability. Although the enhancement of the photochromic properties of bridged imidazole dimers has been vigorously studied, the quantitative information about the structural changes has not been revealed in detail. In this study, we investigated the pressure effects on the photochromic properties of bridged imidazole dimers. The activation volume for the thermal back-reaction of the photogenerated biradical species becomes an effective measure to predict the degree of the structural change during the photochromic reaction. We revealed that the smaller activation volume is suitable for keeping the efficient photochromic reaction in the polymer matrix because the photochromic reaction is not affected by the surroundings. These fundamental insights into the molecular dynamics provide valuable information to develop fast photochromic compounds that are suitable for the use in the polymer matrix and pressure sensitive photochromic materials.