Photochromic Materials: Photochromic Transduction Layers in Organic Memory Elements (Adv. Mater. 3/2013)

New Photochromic Materials

The aim of this work was the synthesis and study of photochromic compounds with new properties. Five dithienylethene type compounds (1a-3a and 1b-2b) were synthesized and studied. They can reversibly interconvert between two thermally stable forms, an open and a closed one, by using light of different wavelengths as triggers. Compounds 2 and 3 represent oligothiophenes endowed with a photoactiv...

Photochromic organic–inorganic hybrid materialsw

Photoswitchable organic field-effect transistors and memory elements comprising an interfacial photochromic layer.

Optical memory elements based on photoswitchable organic field-effect transistors have been designed by using an interfacial layer of photochromic spirooxazine molecules sandwiched between semiconductor and dielectric layers. Optical and electrical programming of the designed devices leads to multiple discrete states demonstrating drastically different electrical characteristics (VTH, IDS) and ...

Patterned colloid assembly by grafted photochromic polymer layers.

Quartz surfaces and colloidal silica particles were derivatized with a poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer containing spirobenzopyran (SP) photochromic molecules in the pendant groups at a concentration of 20 mol %. Two-photon near-IR excitation (approximately 780 nm) was then used to create chemically distinct patterns on the modified surfaces through a photochromic process of SP transformatio...

A Photochromic Supramolecular Memory With Non-Destructive Readout

The use of molecules as elements for information processing and storage is a fast developing research field. Replacing the materials traditionally used for the abovementioned purposes with molecular entities implies a change of paradigm for miniaturization, power consumption, etc. The light-induced color change of photochromic molecules makes them ideal candidates for optically controlled funct...