This thesis is devoted to the design and characterization of switchable molecular systems (molecules, materials and electronic devices) incorporating the dimethyldihydropyrene / cyclophanediene (DHP/CPD) photochromic couple. The first part deals with the synthesis and characterization of original photochromic molecules based on the dimethyldihydropyrene unit. In particular, the chemical functionalisation of these molecular systems with electron-withdrawal pyridinium groups leads to an improvement of the kinetics of photo-induced conversion while providing an easily functionalizable unit, for example with metal cations complexing units. In the second part, the photochromic core is covalently linked with metal complexes based on terpyridine derivatives, conferring redox-active properties to the molecular architecture. These assemblies are applied for the design of organized thin films obtained by self-assembly of metallopolymers on solid surfaces. The model complexes and films display photochromic properties and redox activity particularly promising for the design of responsive materials and molecular devices. Finally, we present the study of the conductance of the isomers DHP and CPD. A single molecule electronic device in which individual molecules are utilized as active electronic components has been implemented using the photochromic group functionalized with two pyridine units, used as anchoring functions. It appears that the DHP isomer has a conductance of about four orders of magnitude higher than the corresponding isomer CPD. These two states can be switched very reproducibly and reversibly upon application of optical and thermal stimulus.
