Synthesis of New Photochromic Diarylethenes Bearing Five and Six Ring Aryls for Optical Storage

A new photochromic diarylethene bearing hexatomic ring aryls was synthesized efficiently. Its photochromic properties were examined, it underwent reversible cyclization and cycloreversion reactions upon alternating irradiation with UV and Vis light both in solution and in PMMA film. The fluorescence property of the photochromic diarylethene was also performed in hexane solution. The results indicated that the photochromic diarylethene have good photochromic property and exhibit remarkable fluorescence switching property. This new simple photochromic system also exhibited remarkable optical storage character. It maybe gives us a new strategy for design and synthesis new photochromic diarylethenes for fluorescence switching and optical storage.