Recent advances in diarylethene-based multi-responsive molecular switches

In the past decade, extensive functionalization of diarylethene backbones has enabled these molecules to respond not only to light but also to other external stimuli and extended their applications to biological and materials sciences. In this review, the recent progress on diarylethene-based multi-responsive molecular switches is summarized with emphasis on the modulation of their photophysical properties by multiple external stimuli, their structure-property-function relationship, and their underlying operating principles.