Synthesizes and Properties of a New Unsymmetrical Diarylethene with a Naphthalene Moiety

Abstract

An unsymmetrical diarylethene with a naphthalene moiety was synthesized. The naphthalene was connected directly to the central perfluorocyclopentene ring as an aryl moiety and available to participate in photoisomerization reaction. This compound exhibited reversible photochromism, changing from colorless to SandyBrown after irradiation with UV light both in solution and in poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) amorphous film. Also, it exhibited remarkable fluorescence switching in the solid state. The electron-withdrawing substituents evidently enhanced the some propeties of diarylethenes with a naphthalene moiety. All results indicated that the naphthalene played an important role during the process of photochromic reaction for the diarylethene derivatives.