Synthesis and properties of photochromic hybrid diarylethenes bearing benzothiophene and pyrrole moieties

• DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2021.152910
• Publication Date: 2021-02-15T05:59:49Z
• Authors: Zili Guo; Renjie Wang; Yunfei Liang; Gang Liu; Shouzhi Pu
• Keywords: Benzothiophene; Diarylethene; Pyrrole

Abstract Two diarylethenes containing the hybrid structures of benzothiophene and pyrrole backbone were synthesized and their structures and properties including photochromism, fatigue resistance, and fluorescence were systematically investigated. Both of them exhibit good photochromisms and can function as fluorescence switches in both solution and solid state upon the irradiations of UV/vis lights. Compared with that bearing cyano group (1O), the carboxamide group containing diarylethene (2O) exhibits a higher molar absorption coefficient in solution, and its maximum absorption in solid state red-shifts by 30 nm, as compared with that in solution. In addition, the application potentials of 2O in bioimaging are demonstrated with excellent performances under physiological conditions.