A multi-responsive molecular switch based on a diarylethene derivative containing dinitrobenzenesulfonic amide groups

Diarylethene derivatives-based multi-responsive molecular switches are indispensable for application to sensors for biological and materials sciences. The constructing of molecular switches that can respond to sulfur compounds remains a challenge. In this work, we report the design and syntheses of a new DAEs-based molecular switch 3 using two strongly electron-withdrawing 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl groups as functional groups and bisthienylethene perfluordiarylethene 2 as the photoswitching trigger. The new molecular switch 3 exhibits prominent photochromism in solution. More importantly, among various sulfur compounds, molecular switch 3 showes specific responses toward benzenethiol and hydrosulfide ions.