A Family of Multiaddressable, Multicolored Photoresponsive Copolymers Prepared by Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization

• Published in: Chemistry of materials Vol. 17; no. 22; pp. 5473 - 5480
• Main Authors: Wigglesworth, Tony J, Branda, Neil R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 01.11.2005
• ISSN: 0897-4756; 1520-5002
• DOI: 10.1021/cm051231d

A series of homo- and copolymers containing different photochromic dithienylethene (DTE) architectures was prepared by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) techniques. Each DTE structure can be uniquely addressed in the two- and three-component copolymers, providing a means to generate a wide range of colors when the compounds are selectively photocyclized to their ring-closed forms. Multicomponent, multiaddressable materials of this type are beneficial for applications such as multistate photochromic recording, displays, inks, and barcodes.