A photochromic thin film based on salicylideneaniline derivatives intercalated layered double hydroxide

Optically transparent thin films with photochromic properties have been fabricated by means of co-intercalation of azomethine-H anions (AMH) and 1-pentanesulfonate (PS) with different molar ratios into the galleries of a ZnAl layered double hydroxide (LDH). The photochromism of AMH occurred in a 2D confined inorganic matrix has been studied by steady state and transient UV–vis spectroscopy. The AMH anion undergoes an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer from the enol tautomer to trans-keto tautomer after UV excitation, and the relaxed back-isomerization to the ground state of enol tautomer was investigated by transient UV–vis spectroscopy.