Photomodulable Phosphines Incorporating Diarylethene Moieties

Incorporation of the dithienylethene moiety as a substituent provides new ‘switchable’ phosphine ligands whose electronic properties are reversibly modulated by light. The presence of electron-withdrawing substituents in the photochromic unit increases the s-donation gap between the photo-modulated open and closed phosphine isomers

Incorporation of the dithienylethene moiety as a substituent provides new 'switchable' phosphine ligands whose electronic properties are reversibly modulated by light. The presence of electron-withdrawing substituents in the photochromic unit increases the sigma-donation gap between the photo-modulated open and closed phosphine isomers.