A bisthienylethene with hitherto unprecedented facial chirality imposed by a triethyleneglycol bridge on a thiophene ring was synthesized and its photochromic ring closure was shown to occur with 100% diastereoselectivity upon UV-light irradiation.

A new diarylethene-derived photochromic compound, with little cytotoxicity, plasma membrane-permeability, and efficient photoswitchability in cells upon alternative UV and visible light irradiation, was synthesized and applied to live cell imaging.

Photochromic bis(thiazol-4-yl)maleimides, displaying enhanced binding affinity to complementary melamine receptors in their ring-closed switching state, have been developed and could pave the way to light-responsive supramolecular assemblies.

A novel salicylideneaniline type fluorescent organogelator based on a 3,4,5-(tri-dodecyloxy)benzoyl group immobilizes aromatic solvents. The resulting gels show enhancement in emission and thermochromic/non-photochromic behaviour during sol-to-gel transition.

[reaction: see text] Aryl coumaryl ethylenes undergo oxidative photocyclization readily to yield helical pyrone-annulated condensed aromatics. The pyrones are conveniently converted to the corresponding photochromic diphenylpyrans/chromenes. Both pyrones and chromenes exhibit helicity-dependent fluorescence efficiency and persistence, respectively.

We have demonstrated a novel and unique route to a highly efficient luminescent switch with nondestructive readout capability by utilizing photochromic diarylethene and up-conversion LaF(3):Yb,Ho nanophosphors.

A photochromic supramolecular nanofibre, composed of a diarylethene derivative, exhibits hydrodynamic alignment upon exposure to the audible sound. The aligned nanofibre outputs linear dichroism (LD), whose wavelength region can be switched reversibly with UV and visible light.

An air-stable photoresponsive viologen molecular system is constructed based on a three-fold accordion interpenetrating packing arrangement. The fluorescent modulation process is coupled with a photochromic reaction via energy and electron transfer between the adjacent donor and acceptor groups.