
16: POLY(BENZIMIDAZOLE)S 377
NN
O
OO
Figure 16.5 Photoswitchable dyad [33].
hydrothermal method and a two-step impregnation
method and dispersed uniformly into the resin. Even-
tually, a composite membrane was prepared by solu-
tion casting.
16.4.4 Photoswitchable Polymers
A naphthopyran-bridge-benzimidazole dyad,
which exhibits both fluorescence and photochromism,
has been developed.
The structure is shown in Figure 16.5.
Irradiation with UV light induces the isomeriza-
tion of the naphthopyran component to the corre-
sponding merocyanine. The fluorescence of the dyad
can be switched reversibly between ON and OFF
upon UV irradiation and thermal bleaching of