Photochromism of pyridine-substituted merocyanine through reversible C-N bond formation.

He Li, Ya Liu, Feifan Sun, Shiquan Lin, Zixu He, Sijia Lu, Quan Tang, Xiaohua Li, Huimin Ma, Wen Shi

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Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

He LiBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Ya LiuBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Feifan SunBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Shiquan LinBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Zixu HeBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-8760-2523

Sijia LuBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Quan TangBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Xiaohua LiBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Huimin MaBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6155-9076

Wen ShiBeijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. shiwen@iccas.ac.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2368-3997

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 22474147

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The reversible interconversion between spiropyran and merocyanine constitutes one of the most intensively investigated photochromic systems, enabling diverse applications in stimuli-responsive materials and optical imaging. Here, we report pyridine-substituted merocyanines (PMCs) as a class of photochromic molecules. Upon visible light irradiation, these compounds undergo an uncommon photoinduced C-N bond formation to yield spiroindolizine (SIZ) structures, accompanied by the color fading. The SIZs can thermally revert to the colored PMC form. This photochromism is marked by rapid response, high photo-switching ratio, robust water compatibility, and fatigue resistance. Furthermore, we have synthesized quinoline-substituted merocyanines and found that they can be bidirectionally switched by 660 nm and 500 nm light to form SIZ and PMC structures. Finally, we showed the photochromism of these molecules in solid matrices and demonstrated a light-controlled sequential switching function, highlighting their potential for advanced photonic applications.

Identifiers

PMID41453873

DOI10.1038/s41467-025-67626-3

PMCPMC12830842

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