A photochromic prototype based on difurylperhydrocyclopentene with remarkable photoswitching behavior and in vivo application.

A new strategy has been developed to synthesize difurylperhydrocyclopentene derivatives. The compound displays reversible photochromism in solution and thin-film. The results show that furan is superior to thiophene in terms of strong fluorescence, higher photocyclization conversion and cyclization quantum yield, as well as better fatigue resistance. Owing to the molecule being derived absolutely from C, H, and O atoms, the compound exhibits no cytotoxicity, which enables it to potentially serve as a biodegradable and biorenewable material for in vivo applications.