Construction of a photo-controlled fluorescent switching with diarylethene modified carbon dots

Photo-controlled fluorescent switching is of great utility in fluorescence sensors, reversible data storage, and logic circuit, based on their modifiable emission intensity and spectra. In this work, a novel photo-controlled reversible fluorescent switching system was constructed based on photochromic diarylethene (DT) molecular modified fluorescent carbon dots (CDs). The fluorescent CDs acted as fluorescent donors and the photochromic diarylethene molecular functioned as acceptors in this fluorescent switching system. The fluorescence modulation efficiency of the fluorescent switching was determined to be 97.1%. The result was attributable to Forster resonance energy transfer between the CDs and the diarylethene molecular. The fluorescent switching could undergo 20 cycles without significant decay.

Automated summary

A novel photo-controlled reversible fluorescent switching system was constructed using fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) modified with photochromic diarylethene (DT) molecules. The fluorescent CDs served as donors, while the photochromic diarylethene molecules acted as acceptors in this system. The fluorescent switching exhibited high modulation efficiency and stability over multiple cycles.