Electrochemically triggered conversion between metacyclophan-1-ene and dihydropyrene molecular switching systems.

The electrochemical oxidation of either open or closed metacyclophanene isomers, which is a positive-photochromic system due to open isomers being more stable than closed ones, quantitatively yields a stable fluorescent dihydropyrene intermediate, a well-known negative T-photochromic system where the closed form is more stable than the open one. This is one of the first examples in which two different molecular switching systems can be electrochemically triggered.