Synthesis, properties and application in optical memory of a photochromic diarylethene bearing pyrimidine ring

A new photochromic diarylethene compound, 1-(2,4-dimethoxy-5-pyrimidine)-2-[2-methyl-5-(2-pyridine)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene(1a), was synthesized, and its photochromic reactivity, fluorescent and electrochemical property were also investigated. The results showed that this compound exhibited reversible photochromism, changing from colorless to red after irradiation with UV light both in solution and in PMMA amorphous film. In hexane solution, the openring isomer of the diarylethene 1 exhibited relatively strong fluorescence at 379 nm when excited at 319 nm. The electrochemcial switching property can be potential use for electrochemistry data storage.