Synthesis and Properties of a Novel Photochromic Diarylethene Bearing Hydroxyl Group

A new unsymmetrical diarylethene derivative 1-(2-methylphenyl)-2-(2-methyl-5-methylenehydroxyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene(1a) was successfully synthesized. The properties of the compound, including photochromic and fluorescence properties of the diarylethene were also investigated. Diarylethene 1a changed the color from colorless to red upon irradiation with 297 nm UV light, in which absorption maxima were observed at 519 nm in hexane and at 535 nm in PMMA film, respectively. In hexane solution, the open-ring isomer of the diarylethene 1 exhibited relatively fluorescence at 437 nm when excited at 411 nm.