Excited-state dynamics of diarylethene derivatives with thiophene rings have been examined by femtosecond transient absorption and picosecond single photontiming spectroscopies. It was found that the rate of ring-closure reaction was a few hundreds of fs to a few ps depending on the number of thiophene rings and solvent polarity. Inaddition, the quantum yield of photochromic reaction of bis(2-thienyl)perfluorocyclopentene was reduced by extending the π-conjugation with benzene moiety connecting at alpha-position of thiophene. Dynamics of photochromism will be discussed on the basis of molecular structure, time-resolved laser spectroscopy, and electrochromic properties of a molecule. |