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Reversible Fluorescent On–Off Recording in a Highly Transparent Polymeric Material Utilizing Fluorescent Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Induced by Heat Treatment†

  1. Shuzo Hirata3,
  2. Kwang-Sup Lee2,
  3. Toshiyuki Watanabe1,*

Article first published online: 9 SEP 2008

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200700994

Issue

Advanced Functional Materials

Advanced Functional Materials

Volume 18, Issue 19, pages 2869–2879, October 9, 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Hirata, S., Lee, K.-S. and Watanabe, T. (2008), Reversible Fluorescent On–Off Recording in a Highly Transparent Polymeric Material Utilizing Fluorescent Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Induced by Heat Treatment. Advanced Functional Materials, 18: 2869–2879. doi: 10.1002/adfm.200700994

Author Information

  1. 1

    Institute of Symbiotic Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588 (Japan)

  2. 2

    Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Institute of Hybrid Materials for Information and Biotechnology Hannam University 133 Ojung-Dong, Daeduck-Gu, Daejon 306-791 (Korea)

  3. 3

    Department of Organic and Polymer Materials Chemistry, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588 (Japan)

*Institute of Symbiotic Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588 (Japan).

  1. †

    We thank K. Suzuki (Hamamatsu Photonisc K. K.) for helping with the measurement of fluorescence quantum efficiency. This work was partially supported by the Human Resource Development Program for Scientific Powerhouse and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) and the Potentiality Verification Stage (JST). Supporting Information is available online from Wiley InterScience or from the author.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 6 OCT 2008
  2. Article first published online: 9 SEP 2008
  3. Manuscript Revised: 11 MAR 2008
  4. Manuscript Received: 30 AUG 2007

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Keywords:

  • data storage;
  • fluoran dye;
  • fluorescence;
  • fluorescent resonance energy transfer;
  • nondestructive readout;
  • polymeric materials;
  • reversible recording

Graphical Abstract

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Reversible recording of fluorescence by heat treatment is accomplished using a polymer matrix containing dispersed fluorescent dye, fluoran dye, and developer with a long alkyl chain. Nanoscale aggregation changes of the developer trigger uniform fluorescence changes, producing transparency in the emission and quenching states. This material can be applied to multilayer recording and near-field optical data storage at high resolution.

Abstract

One productive technique for ultrahigh resolution readout of tiny regions is the measurement of the fluorescence signal of materials. A transparent polymeric materials whose fluorescence quantum yield is changed and recorded by thermally controlling the aggregation of fluoran dyes and developers with long alkyl chains has been developed. The recording medium can be fabricated easily by casting or coating recording materials. Fluorescence is observed after annealing at 363 K for about twelve seconds and then cooling to room temperature (RT), and quenched by annealing at 423 K for a few seconds and then quenching to RT. Nondestructive readout by excitation light with a fluorescent contrast of above 10 is achieved using red, green, and blue fluorescent dyes. Fluorescence on–off switching is induced by fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) from a fluorescent dye to a colored fluoran dye in the recording material. Fluorescence was uniformly quenched in the visible region after erasing. Since the recording materials allow the penetration of laser light due to the presence of crystals smaller than the wavelength range of visible light in both the emission and quenching states, nondestructive readout of the fluorescent signal by two-photon absorption is accomplished. This work provides an important stepping-stone for achieving rewritable-type near-field optical storage or multilayer recording.

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