Switching or blinking? – The switching behaviour of single photochromic triads

Johannes Maier,Jürgen Köhler,Mukundan Thelakkat,Martti Pärs,Tina Weller,A.V Naumov,K.R Karimullin,M.G Gladush

doi:10.1051/epjconf/201819004014

Abstract

Photochromic molecules can be interconverted between two bistable conformations by light [1–3]. Irie and coworkers described a strategy to achieve superior fluorescence characteristics and outstanding switching characteristics of a photochromic unit by linking strong fluorophores covalently to photochromic building blocks [3,4]. Accordingly, we synthesised molecular triads that consist of two perylene bisimide (PBI) fluorophores covalently linked to a dithienylcyclopentene (DCP) photochromic switch, see fig. 1. Such kinds of triads are promising candidates for super-resolution microscopy like RESOLFT and PALM [5,6], or can be used as optical transistors or memories [4,7].

Highlights

1. Such kinds of triads are promising candidates for super-resolution microscopy like RESOLFT and PALM [5,6], or can be used as optical transistors or memories [4,7]
Regarding super-resolution microscopy and a demand for miniaturization for transistors and memories, single molecule applications are of great interest [8]
The problem faced is that it is impossible to discriminate between off-states that are due to illumination with UV light and those that are due to spontaneous, yet unwanted and unavoidable blinking processes

Summary

Introduction

1. Such kinds of triads are promising candidates for super-resolution microscopy like RESOLFT and PALM [5,6], or can be used as optical transistors or memories [4,7].

Results

Conclusion