Controlling photochromism between fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomer/polyaniline and N,N′-dipheny1-1,4-phenylenediamine nanocomposites induced by UV-light-responsive titanium oxide nanoparticles

Colloidal stable fluoroalkyl end-capped 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethanesulfonic acid oligomer [R-F-(MES)(n)-RF]/polyaniline[PAn]/TiO2 nanocomposites and R-F-(MES)(n)-R-F/An-dimer (An-dimer: N,N'-dipheny1-1,4-phenylenediamine)/TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by the interactions of TiO2 nanoparticles with R-F-(MES)(n)-R-F/PAn nanocomposites or R-F-(MES)(n)-R-F/An-dimer nanocomposites, which were prepared by the composite reaction of R-F-(MES)(n)-R-F oligomer with PAn or An-dimer. These two types of fluorinated TiO2 nanocomposites can exhibit quite different photochromic behaviors: R-F-(MES)(n)-R-F/PAn/TiO2 nanocomposites can exhibit a reversible wavelength change for polaron absorptions around 760-820 nm by alternation of UV irradiation and storage in the dark; in contrast, R-F-(MES)(n)-R-F/An-dimer/TiO2 nanocomposites can exhibit a reversible color change from blue to colorless (a reversible absorbance change) by the similar treatment. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.