Crystal structure and electrospray mass spectrum of N,N-bis(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl)-γ-amino-butyric acid and photochromism of its ternary europium system with 1,10-phenanthroline

The title compound N,N-bis(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl)-gamma -amino-butyric acid (DOPMABA) was synthesized through the Mannich reaction of succinimide with gamma -amino-butyric acid in the formaldehyde solution. The structure and the fragments of DOPMABA were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS), respectively. The title compound has two kinds of configurations because of the long chain of gamma -amino-butyric acid. The ternary Eu3+ system with DOPMABA and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) shows good photochromism in aqueous medium. Its decoloration process was investigated. Based on the decoloration curve, its E-diagram was obtained which displays that the decoloration. is an independent step. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.