Photochemical investigation of a photochromic diarylethene compound that can be used as a wide range actinometer.

The photochromic diarylethene derivative 1,2-bis(5-(4-ethynylphenyl)-2-methylthiophen-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentene (1) was submitted to photochemical, thermal stability and fatigue resistance studies in acetonitrile, also to evaluate its possible application as a new actinometer. This photochromic system covers a wide spectral absorption range, with intense bands in the UV and visible regions for the open-ring and closed-ring isomers, respectively. Very high ring-closure quantum yield values were obtained, in contrast with the low ring-opening quantum yields, which are nevertheless high enough to exploit 1 as an actinometer. The procedure required to determine the photon flux of an irradiation source with this fatigue resistant compound is indeed very simple.