The
salts of cationic spiropyran with various anions ([PSP]X; X = I, NO3, SCN, BF4, ClO4,
PF6, CF3BF3, OTf, and BPh4) were prepared, and their crystalline-state photochromism and crystal
structures were investigated. Four salts (X = I, NO3, SCN,
and BPh4) exhibited photochromism in the crystalline state.
In all the crystals, the cations and anions are alternately arranged
to form mixed-stacked columns, with the exception of [PSP]BPh4, which has a grid-like arrangement of the anion.
Most of the salts exhibit a disorder of cations. For all the salts,
the reaction cavity between the pyridinium ring of the cation and
the adjacent anion was determined based on their crystal structures.
The reaction cavity volumes in the photochromic salts were larger
than those in other salts (>8.9 Å3). These results
demonstrate that the crystalline-state photochromism depends on the
size of the reaction cavity necessary for structural isomerization.
Additionally, shear stress also induces the isomerization of the cations
of all the salts in the solid state.