Nanolayered Structures in Photochromic Crystal of 1,2-Bis(2-methyl-5-p-methoxyphenyl-3-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene

ABSTRACT

A photochromic diarylethene, 1,2-bis(2-methyl-5-p-methoxyphenyl-3-thienyl)-perfluorocyclopentene (1a), forms four kinds of polymorphic crystals by recrystallization from the hexane solution. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the needle crystals among four polymorphic forms indicated that the diarylethene is orientated into herringbone nanolayered structures. The crystal exhibited photochromism upon photoirradiation. Alternate nanolayered structures composed of open- and closed-ring isomers were formed by irradiation with polarized visible light after irradiation with ultraviolet light.

Keywords:

• diarylethene
• nanolayered structure
• photochromism
• single crystal

Acknowledgments

This work was partly supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas (417) (15033252), Young Scientists (A) (16685014), Scientific Research (S) (15105006), and the 21st Century COE Program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.