Reversible Surface Morphology Changes of a Photochromic Diarylethene Single
Crystal by Photoirradiation
Masahiro Irie, Seiya Kobatake, Masashi Horichi
Science, 291, 1769-1772 (2001)
@@The surface morphology of a diarylethene single crystal [1,2-dimethyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)
perfluorocyclopentene] determined by atomic force microscopy changed reversibly
upon photoirradiation. The crystal underwent a thermally irreversible but
photochemically reversible color change (colorless to blue) upon alternate
irradiation with ultraviolet (wavelength l = 366 nm) and visible( l > 500 nm) light that drove reversible photocyclization reactions.Upon irradiation with 366-nm light, new steps appeared on the (100) single-crystalline surface that disappeared upon irradiation with visible light ( l > 500 nm). The step height, about 1 nm, corresponds to one molecular
layer. Irradiation with 366-nm light formed valleys on the (010) surface
that also disappeared by bleaching upon irradiation with visible light
( l > 500 nm). The surface morphological changes can be explained by the
molecular structural changes of diarylethenes regularly packed in the single
crystal. These crystals could potentially be used as photodriven nanometer-scale
actuators