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Excitation wavelength- and intensity-dependent stepwise two-photon-induced photochromic reaction

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Abstract

The photochromic molecules showing wavelength-selective or light intensity-dependent photoresponse are receiving increased attention in recent years. Although a photoswitch with a single chromophore can control the ON and OFF states of a function, that consisting of multi-chromophores would be useful for the specific control in complex systems. Herein, we designed stepwise two-photon induced photochromic molecules (PABI–PIC and PABI–PIC2) consisting of two different photochromic units (PABI and PIC). One-photon absorption reaction in the UV light region of PABI–PIC generates the short-lived transient biradical (BR) that absorbs an additional photon in the visible and UV light region in a stepwise manner to produce the two-photon photochemical product, the quinoidal species (Quinoid). The photochromic properties of these transient species are completely different in color and fading speed. In addition, PABI–PIC also shows the excitation wavelength-dependent photochromism because the excited states of the PABI and PIC units are electronically orthogonal. Therefore, the stepwise photochromic properties of PABI–PIC are easily controlled depending on the excitation light intensity and wavelength. These molecular designs are important for the development of advanced photoresponsive materials.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP18H05263.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, 5-10-1 Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5258, Japan

    Katsuya Mutoh, Katsuya Yamamoto & Jiro Abe

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  1. Katsuya Mutoh
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Correspondence to Jiro Abe.

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Mutoh, K., Yamamoto, K. & Abe, J. Excitation wavelength- and intensity-dependent stepwise two-photon-induced photochromic reaction. Photochem Photobiol Sci 21, 1445–1458 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43630-022-00234-y

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