Non-destructive readout of the photochromic reactions of diarylethene derivatives using infrared light

Non-destructive readout of an image using IR light on a polymer film containing a photochromic diarylethene was successively carried out. 1,2-Bis(2-methyl-6-phenyl-1-benzothiophen-3-yl)hexafluorocyclopentene was found to exhibit a remarkable IR spectral change around 1590 cm(-1) upon photoirradiation, as demonstrated in the Figure.