Research Trends in Photochromism: Control of Photochromism in Rigid Polymer Matrices and other Advances*

Richard A. Evans; Georgina K. Such

doi:10.1071/CH05049

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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Research Trends in Photochromism: Control of Photochromism in Rigid Polymer Matrices and other Advances*

Richard A. Evans ^A ^B ^C ^D and Georgina K. Such ^A ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies, Clayton South VIC 3169, Australia.

^B CRC for Polymers, 32 Business Park Drive, Notting Hill VIC 3168, Australia.

^C Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design (CAMD), School of Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.

^D Corresponding author. Email: richard.evans@csiro.au

Australian Journal of Chemistry 58(12) 825-830 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH05049
Submitted: 17 February 2005 Accepted: 17 November 2005 Published: 20 December 2005

Abstract

Photochromism is receiving increasing attention because of its current application in high value-added ophthalmic lenses and potential applications in data storage and molecular switching. The performance of photochromic dyes, such as spirooxazines, chromenes, and diarylethenes, in polymers is important because the above applications require the dyes to be in a host polymer. The dyes can be broadly divided into P (photo) and T (thermal) types depending on the availability of a thermal decolouration route. Current research themes for the two types are presented with an emphasis on a new method of manipulating switching speeds in polymer matrices.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Cooperative Research Centre for Polymers, CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies, and Centre of Advanced Macromolecular Design (CAMD), University of New South Wales, for their support.

References

^* Part of this work won G.S. the Treloar Prize for the best Poster/Oral presentation by a young researcher at the 27th Australasian Polymer Symposium.

Research Trends in Photochromism: Control of Photochromism in Rigid Polymer Matrices and other Advances*

Abstract

Acknowledgments

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