Issue 30, 2017

Photochrome-doped organic films for photonic keypad locks and multi-state fluorescence

Abstract

The spectroscopic properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer films doped with two kinds of photochromic molecular switches are investigated. A green-fluorescent sulfonyl diarylethene (P1) is combined with either a non-fluorescent diarylethene (P2) or red-fluorescent spiropyran (P3). Photoswitching between the colorless and colored isomers (P1: o-BTFO4 ↔ c-BTFO4, P2: o-DTE ↔ c-DTE, P3: SP ↔ MC) enables the P1 + P2 and P1 + P3 films to be cycled through three distinct states. From the initial state (o-BTFO4 + o-DTE/SP), irradiation with UV light generates the second state (c-BTFO4 + c-DTE/MC), where c-BTFO4 → c-DTE/MC energy transfer is established. Irradiation with green light then generates the third state (c-BTFO4 + o-DTE/SP), where the energy transfer acceptor is no longer present. Finally, irradiation with blue light regenerates the initial state. For the P1 + P2 film, only one state is fluorescent, with the irradiation inputs required to be entered in the correct order to access this state, acting as a keypad lock. For the P1 + P3 film, the states emit either no fluorescence, red fluorescence, or green fluorescence, all using a common excitation wavelength. Additionally, once the fluorescence is activated with UV light, it undergoes a time-dependent color transition from red to green, due to the pairing of P-type and T-type photochromes. These multi-photochromic systems may be useful for security ink or imaging applications.

Graphical abstract: Photochrome-doped organic films for photonic keypad locks and multi-state fluorescence

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Apr 2017
Accepted
11 Jul 2017
First published
12 Jul 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017,19, 19984-19991

Photochrome-doped organic films for photonic keypad locks and multi-state fluorescence

C. Ritchie, G. Vamvounis, H. Soleimaninejad, T. A. Smith, E. J. Bieske and V. Dryza, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 19984 DOI: 10.1039/C7CP02818K

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