Summarizing all the latest trends and recent topics in one handy volume, this book covers everything needed for a solid understanding of photochromic materials. Following a general introduction to organic photochromic materials, the authors move on to discuss not only the underlying theory but also the properties of such materials. After a selection of pplications, they look at the latest achievements in traditional solution-phase applications, including photochromic-based molecular logic operations and memory, optically modulated supramolecular system and sensors, as well as light-tunable chemical reactions. The book then describes the hotspot areas of photo-switchable surfaces and nanomaterials, photochromic-based luminescence/electronic devices and bulk materials together with light-regulated biological and bio-chemical systems. The authors conclude with a focus on current industrial applications and the future outlook for these materials. Written with both senior researchers and entrants to the field in mind.

This book focuses on photoswitches. The objective of the book is to introduce researchers and graduate course students who are interested in "photon-working switches" not only to the fundamentals but also to the latest research being carried out in this field. Light can reach a target substrate without any physical contact to deliver energy. The energy can induce changes in the structure of the molecules included in the substrate so that its properties and functions are made switchable by light irradiation. When a substrate is able to revert to its original state, this system can be regarded as a "photon-working switch". The terms "photon-working switches" or "photoswitches" are almost equivalent in meaning to "photochromism"; however, they focus on the "switching of functions" of chemical species rather than their "reversible transformation". Most of the authors of this volume are members of PHENICS, an international research group on organic molecular photoswitches composed of research institutions from France, Japan, Russia, China and Germany. Since its inception in 2008, PHENICS has promoted active research to develop the field. This book commemorates the group's eighth year of collaborative research.

Photochromism is the reversible phototransformation of a chemical species between two forms having different absorption spectra. During the phototransformation not only the absorption spectra but also various physicochemical properties change, such as the refractive index, dielectric constant, oxidation/reduction potential, and geometrical structure. The property changes can be applied to photonic equipment such as erasable memory media, photo-optical switch components, and display devices. This book compiles the accomplishments of the research project titled “New Frontiers in Photochromism” supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The project focused not only on the above-mentioned classical subjects in photochromism, such as color changes, optical memory, and optical switches, but also on fundamental physicochemical studies and unprecedented application fields that have not yet been explored in photochromism. The latter topics include light-driven mechanical motion, photocontrol of surface wettability, metal deposition on solid materials, photocontrol of chiral properties, ultrafast decoloration dyes, and femtosecond laser experiments, among others.

This essential resource consists of a series of critical reviews written by leading scientists, summarising the progress in the field of conjugated thiophene materials. It is an application-oriented book, giving a chemists’ point of view on the state-of-art and perspectives of the field. While presenting a comprehensive coverage of thiophene-based materials and related applications, the aim is to show how the rational molecular design of materials can bring a new breadth to known device applications or even aid the development of novel application concepts. The main topics covered include synthetic methodologies to thiophene-based materials (including the chemistry of thiophene, preparation of oligomers and polymerisation approaches) and the structure and physical properties of oligo- and polythiophenes (discussion of structural effects on electronic and optical properties). Part of the book is devoted to the optical and semiconducting properties of conjugated thiophene materials for electronics and photonics, and the role of thiophene-based materials in nanotechnology.