Recent Progress of Gated Diarylethenes: Strategies, Mechanism, and Applications

Abstract Diarylethenes (DAEs) exhibiting photochromic behavior have emerged as a popular research topic owing to their superior thermal stability, rapid photo‐responsiveness, robust fatigue resistance, and remarkable solution/solid‐state photochromic properties. However, the overlapped reading wavelength and absorption of DAEs can lead to a partial photochromic reaction, resulting in destructive readout that erodes pre‐existing information in memory and data processing. To address this issue, researchers have implemented a range of strategies, including gated reactivity, infrared (IR) absorption, and Raman scattering readout. Among them, gating functions as a “key” or “lock” to regulate the photochromic reactivity through external stimuli, such as reactions, chemicals, additional photons, or heat, making it a viable solution. This review presents a summary of recent developments in gated DAEs, with a particular focus on gating strategies and principles, including modulation of the 1,3,5‐hexatriene moiety and molecular conformation, and regulation of activation energy. Additionally, the challenges and opportunities of gated DAEs systems for future non‐destructive readout and functional materials are also discussed.