International Journal of Photoenergy 
Volume 2006 (2006), Article ID 42846, 9 pages
doi:10.1155/IJP/2006/42846

Effect of complexation with lanthanide metal ions on the photochromism of (1,3,3-trimethyl-5′-hydroxy-6′-formyl- indoline-spiro2,2′-[2h]chromene) in different media

M. S. Attia,1 M. H. Khalil,1,2 M. S. A. Abdel-Mottaleb,1,2 M. B. Lukyanova,3 Yu. A. Alekseenko,3 and Boris Lukyanov3

 1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt
2Photoenergy Center, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt
3Institute of Physical and Organic Chemistry, Rostov State University, 194/2 Stachka avenue, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russia
Received 4 August 2005; Accepted 5 January 2006

Abstract

Complexation of lanthanide ions {Ln(III) ions [Tb(III), Eu(III), or Sm(III)]} with the spiropyran-derived merocyanine obtained in dark and under steady irradiation of indoline spiropyran (1,3,3-trimethyl-5′-hydroxy-6′-formyl-indoline-spiro-2,2′-[2H]chromene) induces a noticeable hypsochromic shift of about 10–110 nm of its visible absorption band concomitant with hypochromic effect and influences its thermal bleaching in the dark. The effect of lanthanide ions and medium on photochromic, spectral-and-kinetic, and luminescence properties of the spiropyran and its complexes in solution and polymer matrix of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is studied. Efficient energy transfer from the spiropyran moiety results in efficient typical luminescence from the Ln(III) ion that becomes more pronounced in polar nonalcoholic solvents and PMMA solid matrix. Moreover, luminescence mappings for pattern recognition analysis have been obtained from which the nature of the solvent and/or the ligand is clearly identified.