Photoregulated Fluorescence Switching in Axially Coordinated Tin(IV) Porphyrinic Dithienylethene

Photochromic fluorophore Sn(TTP)(DTE)2 , in which two phenolic derivatives of 1,2-dithienylethene are axially coordinated to (5,10,15,20-tetratolylporphyrinato)tin(IV) in trans position, has been synthesized and fully characterized by various spectroscopic methods. We have also investigated the photoregulated fluorescence switching behavior of Sn(TTP)(DTE)2 . The fluorescence of the porphyrin macrocycle in Sn(TTP)(DTE)2 greatly depends on the state of the 1,2-dithienyletene photochromic switch. In the open state (Sn(TTP)( o-DTE)2), the porphyrin exhibits high fluorescence intensity at 609 and 664 nm when excited at 410 nm. When the photocyclization reaction was carried out by irradiating Sn(TTP)( o-DTE)2 with the UV light (∼365 nm), the fluorescence intensity of the porphyrin macrocycle decreased. Back irradiation with visible light at wavelengths greater than 500 nm regenerated Sn(TTP)( o-DTE)2 and almost restored the original fluorescence spectrum. The fluorescence intensity of the porphyrin fluorophore is efficiently regulated by photochromic switching between Sn(TTP)( o-DTE)2 and Sn(TTP)( c-DTE)2 in several cycles, clearly demonstrating that the Sn(TTP)(DTE)2 can act as a system for reversible data processing using fluorescence as the detection method.