Procedures were developed for the synthesis of substituted bis(2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl)ethenes containing the imidazol-2-one, 1,3-dioxol-2-one, or 1,3-oxazol-2-one fragments as ethene bridges. These compounds were demonstrated to exhibit the photochromic properties. The cyclic forms of some imidazolone and oxazolone photochromes possess high thermal stability. The structure of photochromic 4,5-bis(4-acetyl-2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl)-3-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-one was established by X-ray diffraction analysis. The molecule adopts an anti-parallel conformation similar to that of perfluorocyclopentene-bridged dithienylethenes.
Procedures were developed for the synthesis of substituted bis(2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl)ethenes containing the imidazol-2-one, 1,3-dioxol-2-one, or 1,3-oxazol-2-one fragments as ethene bridges. These compounds were demonstrated to exhibit the photochromic properties. The cyclic forms of some imidazolone and oxazolone photochromes possess high thermal stability. The structure of photochromic 4,5-bis(4-acetyl-2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl)-3-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-oxazol-2-one was established by X-ray diffraction analysis. The molecule adopts an anti-parallel conformation similar to that of perfluorocyclopentene-bridged dithienylethenes.