Yasushi Yokoyama

Masahiro Irie

Takahiro Seki

Photochromism is the reversible phototransformation of a chemical species between two forms having different absorption spectra. During the phototransformation not only the absorption spectra but also various physicochemical properties change, such as the refractive index, dielectric constant, oxidation/reduction potential, and geometrical structure. The property changes can be applied to photonic equipment such as erasable memory media, photo-optical switch components, and display devices. This book compiles the accomplishments of the research project titled “New Frontiers in Photochromism” supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The project focused not only on the above-mentioned classical subjects in photochromism, such as color changes, optical memory, and optical switches, but also on fundamental physicochemical studies and unprecedented application fields that have not yet been explored in photochromism. The latter topics include light-driven mechanical motion, photocontrol of surface wettability, metal deposition on solid materials, photocontrol of chiral properties, ultrafast decoloration dyes, and femtosecond laser experiments, among others.

New Frontiers in Photochromism

Keitaro Nakatani

This book focuses on photoswitches. The objective of the book is to introduce researchers and graduate course students who are interested in "photon-working switches" not only to the fundamentals but also to the latest research being carried out in this field. Light can reach a target substrate without any physical contact to deliver energy. The energy can induce changes in the structure of the molecules included in the substrate so that its properties and functions are made switchable by light irradiation. When a substrate is able to revert to its original state, this system can be regarded as a "photon-working switch". The terms "photon-working switches" or "photoswitches" are almost equivalent in meaning to "photochromism"; however, they focus on the "switching of functions" of chemical species rather than their "reversible transformation". Most of the authors of this volume are members of PHENICS, an international research group on organic molecular photoswitches composed of research institutions from France, Japan, Russia, China and Germany. Since its inception in 2008, PHENICS has promoted active research to develop the field. This book commemorates the group's eighth year of collaborative research.

Yasushi Yokoyama

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