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Orthogonally Incorporating Dual‐Fluorescence Control into Gated Photochromism for Multifunctional Molecular Switching
Author(s) -
Weng Taoyu,
Zhang Kai,
Wu Bin,
Chen Xuanying,
Zou Qi,
Zeng Tao,
Zhu Liangliang
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201903759
Subject(s) - photochromism , fluorescence , molecular switch , photochemistry , spiropyran , stoichiometry , molecule , ultraviolet , chemistry , materials science , combinatorial chemistry , optoelectronics , optics , physics , organic chemistry
Gated photochromism is of interest for the operation and control of modern high‐tech optofunctional materials. For further advancing this topic towards the achievement of multifunctional molecular switching, however, it remains a great challenge to incorporate multiple fluorescence regulation into gated photochromism in one unimolecular system. Herein, it is reported that a dithienylethene derivative DTEN with a Schiff base connection can be facilely synthesized by one‐step coupling, and it enabled distinct color and spectral changes upon different stimuli, including ultraviolet, visible light, Ni 2+ , and Al 3+ . Relying on hydrazine and hydroxy units in this molecule, compound DTEN exhibited novel Ni 2+ ‐locked photochromic characteristics originating from complexation of the compound with Ni 2+ in a 2:1 stoichiometry. On the other hand, a 1:1 complexation between compound DTEN and Al 3+ could allow both of the initial and photostationary states of DTEN to display fluorescent enhancement and a redshift, realizing a dual‐fluorescence “turn‐on” sensing of Al 3+ by light. On this basis, it is argued that the switching of the coordination mode between DTEN and Ni 2+ or Al 3+ brings up the possibility of tunable photoswitching by multiple stimuli, which offers a novel way for future development of multifunctional switching materials with different input and output signals, as exemplified by the construction of a delicate molecular circuit.