Recent Progress of Gated Diarylethenes: Strategies, Mechanism, and Applications

Abstract

Diarylethenes (DAEs) exhibiting photochromic behavior have emerged as a popular research topic owing to their superior thermal stability, rapid photo-responsiveness, robust fatigue resistance, and remarkable solution/solid-state photochromic properties. However, the overlapped reading wavelength and absorption of DAEs can lead to a partial photochromic reaction, resulting in destructive readout that erodes pre-existing information in memory and data processing. To address this issue, researchers have implemented a range of strategies, including gated reactivity, infrared (IR) absorption, and Raman scattering readout. Among them, gating functions as a “key” or “lock” to regulate the photochromic reactivity through external stimuli, such as reactions, chemicals, additional photons, or heat, making it a viable solution. This review presents a summary of recent developments in gated DAEs, with a particular focus on gating strategies and principles, including modulation of the 1,3,5-hexatriene moiety and molecular conformation, and regulation of activation energy. Additionally, the challenges and opportunities of gated DAEs systems for future non-destructive readout and functional materials are also discussed.