Aggregation-controlled photochromism based on a dithienylethene derivative with aggregation-induced emission. Issue 10 (1st March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Shangjun; Li, Wenlong; Li, Xin; Zhu, Wei-Hong
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 5:Issue 10(2017)
• Page Start: 2717
• Page End: 2722
• Publication Date: 2017-03-01
• Subjects: Materials -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Optical materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Electronics -- Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c7tc00023e
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7526

Abstract

Abstract : An interesting dithienylethene derivative, BTE-EQ, bestows novel aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics and aggregation-controlled photochromism properties, together with density functional theory calculations. Abstract : We report novel aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics involving aggregation-controlled photochromism properties of a dithienylethene derivative, BTE-EQ, where two quinolinemalononitrile (EQ ) units are covalently attached to a dithienylethene core. The typical AIE effect ofBTE-EQ has been found to originate from the AIE character of theEQ units with respect to the reference compoundBTE, which does not contain anEQ unit. The photochromism study, together with density functional theory calculations, reveals that the photochromic activity ofBTE-EQ can be reversibly switched off and on by controlling the aggregation state during the AIE process, which provides a novel route to controlling the photochromism of diarylethenes.