Synthesis and Property of a New 2,4-Position Hybrid Diarylethene Bearing both Benzene and Isoxazole Moieties

A new photochromic diarylethene of bis(4-isoxazolyl)ethene and bis(2-phenyl)ethene was synthesized. Its properties, including photochromism and fluorescence were investigated in detail. It underwent reversible cyclization and cycloreversion reactions upon alternating irradiation with UV and visible light in hexane. The results showed that this compound exhibited reversible photochromism and good fluorescent switching in solution after irradiation with UV light and visible light. Using this dithienylethene 1c as optical storage recording was performed successfully.