Synethesis and Properties of 1-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-[2-methyl-5-(3-N,N-dimethylphenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene

An unsymmetrical photochromic diarylethene 1-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2[2-methyl-5-(3-N,N-dimethylphenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene (1a) was synthesized and its photochromism, fluorescent properties and reaction kinetics of cyclization and cycloreversion were studied in detail. The compound exhibited remarkable photochromism and its absorption maxima were observed at 552 nm in hexane and at 569 nm in PMMA films upon irradiation with 297 nm UV light. The fluorescence intensity of diarylethene decreased upon irradiation with 297 nm UV light. In addiation, reaction kinetics of the cyclization and cycloreversion processes of the compound were determined to be the zeroth and first order reaction by UV-Vis spectra, respectively.