As a new type of photoresponsive compound

dithieny lethene has excellent thermal stability and fatigue resistance. Irradiation with appropriate wavelength of light

the dithieny lethene can undergo reversible photocy clization between colourless open-ring isomer and coloured closed-ring isomer. At the same time

many molecular properties will also be chang ed reversibly

such as ref ractive index

dielectric constant

electrochemical properties

and soon. It can be used in optoelect ronic devices such as memory media

optical switches and sensors. For practical applications

the dithienylethenes should be incorporated into polymers that can be easily fabricated into films

sheets

or beads. This microreview provides an overview of the prepared dithieny lethene based polymers.