Novel diarylethene derivatives: N-substituted-3,4-bisheteroaryl-2,5-dihydropyrroleswere synthesized through Mcmurry couple reaction with high yields. The photochromic propertiesand UV-Vis absorption spectra were studied. The maximal absorptions of their close forms werearound at 406 nm or 446 nm, which related mainly with heteroaryl groups but not with substitutedgroups at nitrogen atom of dihydropyrrole. The absorption of their colored form could be matchedwith blue light laser.
A hydroxyl substituted phenolic Schiff base 1, used as sensor for detection of Zn^2＋, was synthesized and investigated. It was found that a strong fluorescence emission was observed when 1 bound to Zn^2＋ in acetonitrile, whereas no fluorescence emission was detected when 1 bound to other metal ions （Fe^2＋, Co^2＋, Ni^2＋, Cu^2＋, Cd^2＋, Hg^2＋, Mg^2＋, Pb^2＋, Ca^2＋, Ba^2＋, Sr^2＋） except for Mg^2＋, for which a weak fluorescence emission was detected in the same condition. Competition experiment showed that no obvious interference was observed in its fluorescence while 1 performed the titration with Zn^2＋ in the different mixtures of metal ions. To understand the site where Zn^2＋ coordinated to the ligand and the mechanism of binding, three other hydroxyl substituted phenolic Schiff bases 2-4 were synthesized and their binding reactions with Zn^2＋were also investigated.
