Photochromic behavior of retinal analogs

New dihetarylethenic retinal analogs were synthesized, and their photochromic behavior was studied. The relationship between the compound structures and their spectral and kinetic parameters was determined due to the comparative spectral-kinetic studies of synthesized dihetarylethenes. It was shown, that all synthesized compounds possess expressed photochromic properties and the thermal irreversibility. The best kinetic characteristics for the photocyclization process as well as a low photodegradation were measured for short-chain nitrile.