Robust Photochromic Compounds
- Field
- Advanced Materials
- Patent
- IP00509
Key Problem and Market Opportunity
- Photochromism is defined as a reversible transformation of a single chemical species being induced in one or both directions by absorption of electromagnetic radiation, with two states having different distinguishable absorption spectra. Ideally, the chemical species must be thermally stable and possess excellent durability for reversible photochromic reactivity.
- Diarylethene-containing photochromic materials has been studied extensively. However, most efforts are focused on the derivatization of the materials to tune the photophysical behaviors while less efforts are made in the design and synthesis of different types of diarylethenes with excellent photochromic properties.
Key Advantages of the Technology
- The invention discloses the use of mono- or poly-heterocyclic compounds to perturb the properties of the diarylethenes in the photochromic compounds.
- The photophysical properties show the advantageous use as tunable, robust and thermally stable photochromic materials.
Potential Product and Services
- The compounds have many potential applications including high-density optical information storage systems, photoregulated molecular switches, molecular sensors, photochromic inks, paints and fibers and optoelectronic systems such as optical waveguides, Bragg reflectors and dielectric mirrors.
Development status and IP Strength
- Laboratory Prototype Developed and Tested
- Patents have been granted in US and pending in KR, PRC and EP