Synthesis, Photochromism and Fluorescent Switch of a Novel Diarylethene Compound

Abstract

A new fluorescence switch molecule based on a photochromic diarylethene and a fluorene unit was designed and constructed successfully. The compound exhibited good photochromism in acetonitrile with alternating irradiation by UV/Vis light, and the maxima absorption of its closed-ring isomer (1b) are 565nm. The open-ring isomer of the diarylethene1aexhibited relatively strong fluorescence at 420 nm when excited at 290 nm. Its fluorescence intensity decreased along with the photochromism from open-ring isomers to closed-ring isomers upon irradiation with 297 nm UV light.