Quantitative study of photochromic transformations of diarylethene derivatives with either perhydrocyclopentene or oxazolone or lactone units

This work is devoted to the determination of ring-closure and ring-opening quantum yield values of 18 thermally irreversible photochromic diarylethene derivatives. Three classes have been systematically investigated. They have been obtained (i) by changing the bridging ring that stabilizes the central ethenic double bond in the cis configuration from perhydrocyclopentene, oxazolone and lactones, and (ii) by varying the lateral aryl moieties from thiophene, benzothiophene and thiazoles. Numerical modeling of UV/visible absorption vs time kinetic curves recorded under continuous monochromatic irradiation in combination with chemical actinometry was employed to determine the photo-cyclisation and cycloreversion quantum yields together with the molar absorption coefficient of the closed form. Structure-properties diagrams obtained by plotting λAvs λB, ɛAvs ɛB and ΦABvs ΦBA visualize all the structural effects helping the evaluation of these compounds as possible photoswitches or high-density optical recording materials. [Display omitted] •We have determined the quantum yields of three classes of diarylethenes.•The bridging ring was either, perhydrocyclopentene, oxazolones or lactones.•The lateral aryl moieties were varied from thiophene, benzothiophene to thiazoles.•Structure-properties diagrams visualize all the structural effects.