Photoswitchable Fluorescent Self-Assembled Metallacycles with High Photostability
Shangjun Chen1, Lijun Chen2, Yunsong Cai3
1Key Laboratory of Resource Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, P. R. China.
Abstract:
In this study, photoswitchable fluorescent supramolecular metallacycles with high fatigue-resistance have been constructed by coordination-driven self-assembly by using bithienylethene with dipyridyl units (BTE) as a coordination donor and a fluorescent di-platinum(II) (Pt-F) as a coordination acceptor. The photo-triggered reversible transformation between the ring-open and ring-closed form of the metallacycles was confirmed by 1 H NMR, 31 P NMR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. This unique property enabled a reversible noninvasive "off-on" switching of fluorescence through efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Importantly, the metallacycles remained structurally intact after up to 10 photoswitching cycles. The photoresponsive property and exceptional photostability of the metallacycles posit their potential promising application in optical switching, image storage, and super-resolution microscopy.
