The thermochromic properties of thin films of a mixture of a fluoran dye (FD: 2'-(o-chloroanilino)-6' -dibutyl-aminospiro[isobenzofuran-1(3H), 9'-[9H] xanthene]-3-one) and long-chain alkyl-phosphonic acid (Pn:n=carbon number of alkyl chain) were reviewed. This mixture has attracted considerable attention in recent days, for the mixure gives rise to the functions of coloring rewritable recording devices, which are sensitively dependent on the crystallization behavior of the mixture systems. Coloring states are attained in two phases; mixture liquid as well as mixture solid. The solidified coloring state was revealed at room tempemture by quenching the mixture liquid. The slow cooling, however, resulted in the discolored state. Upon heating from the solidified colored state, the discoloring initiates in a temperature range about 20℃ below the melting temperature of the phosphonic acid component. By repeating the processes of quenching, heating and slow crystallization, the rewritable function can be realized. To clarify the mechanism involved in this process, we precisely examined structural properties of the mixture solids colored and discolored states, and crystallization behavior of the discolored solid mixtures. It was confirmed that the colored sold mixture was in a lamella-type "supramolecules" conisting of FD and Pn, in which the carbon number n was larger than 14. By contrast, the discolored state is caused by fractional crystallization of phosphonic acids, decomposing the "sipramolecules" by either or slow crystalization.
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