Fully Reversible Multistate Fluorescence Switching: Organogel System Consisting of Luminescent Cyanostilbene and Turn‐On Diarylethene

• Published in: Advanced functional materials 2018-02, Vol.28 (7), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Kim, Dojin, Kwon, Ji Eon, Park, Soo Young
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aggregation‐induced enhanced emission; diarylethene; Fluorescence; logic gates; low molecular weight gelators; Materials science; Sol-gel processes; Stimuli; Switching
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201706213

Multicolor tunable and multistate switchable organogel is reported, which consists of a cyanostilbene organogelator showing aggregation‐induced enhanced emission and a turn‐on type photochromic diarylethene dye. The mixed organogel can be reversibly switched among four different states (blue‐emitting gel, nonemissive sol, green‐emitting gel, and green‐emitting sol) modulated by a combination of orthogonal stimuli of heat and light. It is interestingly noted that this four‐state switching constitutes a combinational logic circuit consisting of two stimuli inputs and three outputs. Reversible fluorescence writing, switching, erasing, and image patterning processes on this mixture gel system are demonstrated. Multistate addressable fluorescent organogel is constructed by mixing the aggregation‐induced enhanced emission organogelator and fluorescent turn‐on diarylethene. Through its reversible and orthogonal stimuli‐responsiveness, an integrated logic circuit, where thermal‐ and optical‐inputs can be translated into four different outputs (blue‐emitting gel, nonemissive sol, green‐emitting gel, and green‐emitting sol), is demonstrated.