Photoswitchable Organic Nanoparticles and a Polymer Film Employing Multifunctional Molecules with Enhanced Fluorescence Emission and Bistable Photochromism

摘要

Among the various photon-mode molecular memory systems, bistable photoswitching of fluorescence emission is considered to be a promising signaling mode, not only because the fluorescence signals can be readily and sensitively recognized, but also because the small number of photons required for their excitation induce few side effects to spoil the digitalized signals. Multifunctional fluorescent (including phosphorescent) molecules combining bistable photochromism with built-in 1,2-bisthienylethene (BTE) units have been successfully investigated with the aim of applications in ultrahigh-density optical memory media, and they show, in principle, reversible and bistable photoswitching.