Unsymmetrical diarylethenes as molecular keypad locks with tunable photochromism and fluorescence via Cu2+ and CN- coordinations.

New unsymmetrical diarylethenes were synthesized and their photochromic and fluorescent properties are tailored by Cu(2+) and CN(-) coordinations. A novel molecular logic keypad lock is constructed based on the fluorescence emission changes by the inputs of UV/visible irradiation, Cu(2+) and CN(-). This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012