Photochromism in spiropyran impregnated fluorinated mesoporous organosilicate films

Fluorinated mesoporous organosilicate films were synthesized by sol-gel spin-coating on a quartz substrate using (heptadecafluorodecyl)trimethoxysilane, tetramethylorthosilicate, and n-cetyltrimethylammonium chloride as the fluoro-precursor, silica source, and supramolecular template, respectively. The photochromism efficiency of photochromic dyes (spiropyran) increases in the order non-porous < hexagonal mesoporous < fluorinated mesoporous organosilicate films. The relatively high efficiency of the photochromism of spiropyran in fluorinated mesoporous organosilicate films suggests that such films are promising materials for applications as optical shutters and light modulators.