New cyano-substituted organic dyes containing different electrophilic groups: aggregation-induced emission and large two-photon absorption cross section

Three aggregation-induced emission active dyes (3a–c) were synthesized and their one- and two-photon absorption properties have been investigated. They were all found to be weakly fluorescent in THF solution, while they exhibited dramatic fluorescence enhancement in water/THF mixtures. The solid fluorescence of 3a–c was recorded and their fluorescence quantum efficiency (Φ_F) values were determined to be 8.0%, 8.1%, and 16.4%, respectively. Moreover, the two-photon absorption (2PA) cross-sections (σ) of 3a–c were measured and 3a showed the highest value of 702 GM. The excellent aggregation-induced emission and 2PA properties provide a promising alternative for biophotonic materials.     

Multi-carbazole derivatives for two-photon absorption data storage: Synthesis, optical properties and theoretical calculation

Two novel quadrupolar organic compounds, 3-(4-((E)-2-(9-butyl-9H-carbazol-6-yl) vinyl)styryl)-9-propyl-9H-carbazole (BCSPC) and 3-(3-(3-((1E)-2-(4-((E)-2-(3-(3,5-bis(9-butyl-9H-carbazol-6-yl)phenyl)-9-butyl-9H-carbazol-6-yl)vinyl)phenyl) vinyl)-9-butyl-9H-carbazol-6-yl)-5-(9-butyl-9H-carbazol-6-yl)phenyl)-9-butyl-9H-carbazole (BCPBC), with different conjugated arms, have been designed and synthesized. Their one- and two-photon absorption (TPA) and excited fluorescence properties have been experimentally investigated. The two-photon absorption cross-sections of two compounds were estimated by two-photon excited fluorescence technique using 200 fs, 76 MHz, Ti:sapphire laser, which are 22 and 154 GM for BCSPC and BCPBC, respectively. The optimal excitation wavelengths are 780 nm for both BCSPC and BCPBC. A data recording experiment proved the potential application of the materials.     

A functional conjugated hyperbranched polymer derived from tetraphenylethene and oxadiazole moieties: Synthesis by one-pot “a4+b2+c2” polymerization and applicaion as explosive chemosensor and pled

A new conjugated hyperbranched polymer (hb-TFO) containing tetraphenylethylene (TPE) units, a famous aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active group, as the core, was synthesized successfully with modest yield via one-pot Suzuki polymerization reaction. Thanks to the introduction of TPE moieties, hb-TFO exhibited aggregation-enhanced emission (AEE) property, and could work as explosive chemosensor with high sensitivity. The polymeric light-emitting diode (PLED) device was fabricated to investigate its electroluminescent property, and hb-TFO demonstrated a maximum luminance efficiency of 0.22 cd/A and a maximum brightness of 545 cd/m² at 15.9 V.     

Turn-on fluorescence sensor based on the aggregation of pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-based coumarin chromophores induced by Hg

We developed a new fluorescent sensor (PPC-S) for Hg²⁺ based on the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-based coumarin chromophore (PPC-O). Given the desulfurization reaction with Hg²⁺, AIE inactive PPC-S can be transformed into PPC-O with AIE activity, which can be employed for the fluorescence turn-on detection of Hg²⁺ with satisfactory selectivity and sensitivity in aqueous solutions.     

Synthesis, photophysical properties and TD-DFT calculation of four two-photon absorbing triphenylamine derivatives

In this study,linear absorption,single-photon excited fluorescence,fluorescence quantum yields,fluorescence lifetime and two-photon excited fluorescence of a series of triphenylamine derivatives (L1,L2,L3 and L4) have been measured.L1 and L3 are D--A type dyes,while L2 and L4 are D--D--A type dyes (D=donor,A=acceptor).The investigated compounds consist of triphenylamine-bearing donor-substituted and/or systematically extended-conjugated length,which are designed to gain insight into the effect of the ethoxyl unit and-linkage length on the linear and nonlinear optical properties.The influence of solvent polarity on the photophysical properties was investigated.Employing time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations,the structure-property relationships are discussed.     

Design and synthesis of an AIE-active fluorogen with red emission and its biological application

A novel triphenylamine-base derivative L containing pyridine and terpyridine was designed and synthesized. Compound L exhibited distinct aggregation-induced emission (AIE) behavior in water–ethanol and also displayed a threefold increase in the intensity of luminescence at 608 nm. Furthermore, confocal microscopy imaging demonstrated that compound L displays low toxicity and brights red fluorescence in mitochondria in living HepG2 cells. Inherent from the mitochondrial-targeting ability of pyridine moiety and the AIE characteristic of triphenylamine group, compound L could be employed as a fluorescent probe in the near-infrared region for living cell imaging.     

Facile fabrication of aggregation-induced emission based red fluorescent organic nanoparticles for cell imaging

A cyano-substituted diarylethlene derivative aggregation-induced emission （ALE） dye with two amino end-groups and 4,4＇-（hexafluoroisopropylidene）diphthalic anhydride were facilely incorporated into red fluorescent organic nanoparticles （FONs） via room temperature anhydride ring-opening polymerization under an air atmosphere. These obtained RO-HFDA FONs were characterized by a series of techniques including gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, size distribution and zeta potential measurements, UV-Vis absorption spectrum, fluorescent spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Biocompatibility evaluation and cell uptake behavior of RO-HFDA FONs were further investigated to explore their potential biomedical application. We demonstrated that such FONs showed high water dispersibility, stable uniform spherical morphology （150-200 nm）, broad excitation band （350-605 nm）, intense red fluorescence （627 nm） and excellent biocompatibility, making them promising for cell imaging applications.     

Tuning the solid-state emission of the analogous GFP chromophore by varying alkyl chains in the imidazolinone ring

New analogues of green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore mGFP-Cn (n = 1, 3, 5, 11) with alkyl chains of different lengths in the imidazolinone rings were synthesized and their crystal structures were determined. These GFP-like chromophores are all emissive in the solid state. And the solid-state emission quantum yields of increase by extending the lengths of alkyl chains, owing to the fact that the intermolecular pi-pi interactions are significantly weakened based on their crystal structures.     

Effects of substitution and terminal groups for liquid-crystallinity enhanced luminescence of disubstituted polyacetylenes carrying chromophoric terphenyl pendants

Liquid-crystalline and light-emitting poly(2-alkyne)s containing terphenyl cores with hexamethyleneoxy spacers,and cyano or n-propoxy tails -[CH3C=C(CH2)6O-terphenyl-R]n-,where R=CN,CH3PA6CN,R=OCH2CH2CH3,CH3PA6OPr,were synthesized.The effects of the substitution and terminal groups on the properties,especially the mesomorphic and optical properties of the polymers,were investigated.The disubstituted acetylene monomers (CH3A6CN,CH3A6OPr) were pre- pared through multistep reaction routes and were polymerized by WCl6-Ph4Sn in good yields (up to 82%).All the monomers and CH3PA6CN exhibited the enantiotropic SmA phase with a monolayer arrangement at elevated temperatures,whereas CH3PA6OPr formed a bilayer SmAd packing arrangement.Upon excitation at 330 nm,strong UV and blue emission peaks at 362 and 411 nm were observed in CH3PA6OPr and CH3PA6CN,respectively.The luminescent properties of CH3PA6CN and CH3PA6OPr have been improved by introducing the methyl substituted group,and the quantum yield of the polymer with cyano tail CH3PA6CN (φ= 74%) was found to be higher than that of CH3PA6OPr (φ= 60%).Compared to polyacety- lene parents,both CH3PA6OPr and CH3PA6CN showed a narrower energy gap.This demonstrated that the electrical con- ductivities of polyacetylenes could be enhanced by attaching appropriate pendants to the conjugated polyene backbones.     

Investigating the effects of side chain length on the AIE properties of water-soluble TPE derivatives

The emissive properties of fluorophores in aggregated state are important for the development of bio-sensors or bio-imaging reagents. So three water-soluble TPE derivatives with different lengths of side chains have been synthesized and we investigated the effects of side chains on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties in the aggregated states. The results indicate that side chains on the fluorophores play a pivotal role in their emission in aggregated state mediated by heparin or solid state, because the coplanarity of these TPE derivatives was affected by side chains. The rates of radiative decay k_f and non-radiative decay k_nr have been obtained through the quantum yields and lifetime, and a larger k_f and smaller k_nr were present for compound TPE-C4N, suggesting that the aggregated TPE-C4N should posses the most remarkable fluorescent property.     

Novel 5-(oligofluorenyl)-1,10-phenanthroline type ligands: synthesis, linear and two-photon absorption properties

The synthesis and characterization of new 1,10-phenanthroline-based chromophores LT1, LT2 and LD1 featuring fluorene unit(s) are reported. Their absorption and emission as well as their two-photon absorption properties in the 450-650 nm spectral range are discussed in comparison with the parent 1,10-phenanthroline and already described ligands L1 and L2.     

Theoretical design study on photophysical property of the B–N derivatives for OLED applications

The photophysical properties of a series of multifunctional compounds applied in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) materials have been studied by quantum chemistry. These compounds have been integrated by an electron and hole transporting component as well as an emitting component into the donor–π–acceptor (D–π–A) structures. To reveal the relationship between the structures and properties of these multifunctional electroluminescent materials, the ground- and excited-state geometries were optimized at the B3LYP/6-31G(d), HF/6-31G(d), and CIS/6-31G(d) levels, respectively. The ionization potentials and electron affinities were computed. The mobilities of hole and electron in these compounds were studied computationally based on the Marcus electron transfer theory. The maximum absorption and emission wavelengths of compounds 1–4 were calculated by time-dependent density functional theory method. As a result of these calculations, it was concluded that the electron injections of compounds 2–6 are much easier than Mes₂B[p-4,4′-biphenyl-NPh(1-naphthyl)] (BNPB) due to the introduction of the thiophene group, anthracene group, and N=N as a part of the π-conjugated bridge, compounds 5 and 6 can act as electron transport and hole transport materials, respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 have higher electron mobility and light-emitting efficiency as compared to compounds 3 and 4. Compounds 3 and 4 have quite longer fluorescence lifetimes than compounds 1 and 2 due to the larger Stoke’s shifts.     

BODIPY-derived ratiometric fluorescent sensors: pH-regulated aggregation-induced emission and imaging application in cellular acidification triggered by crystalline silica exposure

Modification of classic fluorophore to possess the emission transitions between aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and intrinsic emission offers reliable approach to the design of ratiometric fluorescent sensors. In this study, a proton acceptor benzimidazole was integrated with BODIPY to form three compounds, BBI-1/2/3, which demonstrated the AIE (~595 nm, I_agg) in neutral aqueous medium and intrinsic BODIPY emission (~510 nm, I_int) in acidic medium. All the three showed the ratiometric pH sensing behavior in a dual excitation/dual emission mode, yet BBI-3 displayed still the dual emission ratiometric pH sensing ability. The pH-dependent emission ratio I_int/I_agg of the three were fully reversible, and no interference was observed from normal abundant chemical species in live cells. Their different pK_a (BBI-1, pK_a 4.4; BBI-2, pK_a 2.7; BBI-3, pKa 3.6) suggested that the substituents on benzimidazole moiety were essential to govern their functioning pH range. The ratiometric imaging of BBI-1 in A549 cells provided an effective intracellular pH (pHi) calibration formula corresponding to emission ratio of I_int/I_agg. Ratiometric pH_i imaging in A549 cells upon small particle exposure confirmed the particle-induced cellular acidification with this formula. Both particle size and the chemical nature of the particle contribute to the observed acidification effect. The synchronization of lysosome disruption to cellular acidification in A549 cells upon crystalline silica exposure was directly observed for the first time with BBI-1, showing the potential application of BBI-1 in the study of silicosis and other related diseases. This study demonstrated that endowing fluorophore with AIE/intrinsic emission transition could be a promising strategy for ratiometric sensor design.     

Structures and properties of novel 5,15-di[4-(5-acetylsulfanylpentyloxy)phenyl] porphyrin derivatives: Density functional theory calculations

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been carried out in order to compare the molecular structures, atomic charges, molecular orbitals, electronic absorption spectra, and infrared (IR) spectra of the metal-free 5,15 -di[4-(5-acetylsulfanylpentyloxy) phenyl]porphyrin H₂[DPP(OC₅H₁₀SCOCH₃)₂] (1) (DPP = 5,15-diphenylporphyrin) and its zinc complex Zn[DPP(OC₅H₁₀SCOCH₃)₂] (2), which exhibit novel structures with two 5-acetylsulfanylpentyloxy side chains at the para-positions of opposite meso-attached phenyl groups. The calculated molecular structure and electronic absorption and IR spectra of 1 and 2 are consistent with the experimental results. The influences of meso-substitution, polar solvents, and central metal substitution on the structure and properties of porphyrin derivatives have been investigated by comparing the corresponding data for 1 and 2 with the help of data for the unsubstituted porphyrin derivatives, namely the metal-free porphyrin H₂Por (3) and the porphyrinato-zinc compound (4). The identities of the main transitions in the electronic absorption spectra of 1 and 2 are assigned and the vibrational modes in their IR spectra are identified with the assistance of animated pictures produced based on normal coordinates. The theoretical work presented here will be helpful in increasing our understanding of the structure and spectroscopic properties, as well as substituent and solvent effects, for these novel porphyrin compounds.     

Construction of deep-blue AIE luminogens with TPE and oxadiazole units

In this paper, two AIE-active luminogens (Oxa-pTPE and Oxa-mTPE) constructed from tetraphenylethene and oxadiazole units were successfully synthesized and their thermal, optical and electronic properties were investigated. By linking TPE to the oxadiazole core through meta-or para-position, the intramolecular conjugation is effectively controlled. Thanks to the intelligent molecular design and specific AIE feature, when fabricated as emissive layers in non-doped OLEDs, they exhibit blue or deep-blue emission with CIE coordinates of (0.17, 0.23) and (0.15, 0.12), and good efficiencies with ηC, max and ηP, max up to 1.52 cd A-1 and 0.84 Im W-1 , shedding some light on the construction of deep-blue AIE fluorophores.     

Aggregation-enhanced emission and efficient electroluminescence of conjugated polymers containing tetraphenylethene units

Tetraphenylethene (TPE) is a popular luminogen characterized by aggregation-induced emission and has been widely used to construct solid-state emissive materials. In this work, two thermally stable polymers (P1 and P2) consisting of TPE conjugated to the 2,7-positions of fluorene and carbazole, respectively, are synthesized and characterized. Both polymers are weakly fluorescent in solutions but show greatly enhanced emission as the aggregate formation, presenting an aggregation-enhanced emission feature. Two kinds of polymer light-emitting diodes are fabricated utilizing P1 and P2 as emitters (EML) (device I: ITO/PEDOT:PSS (45 nm)/PVK:EML (1:1 wt%, 55 nm)/TPBI (38 nm)/Ca:Ag; device II: ITO/PEDOT:PSS (45 nm)/ PVK:OXD-7:EML (3:1:3 wt%, 55 nm)/TPBI (38 nm)/Ca:Ag). The device II of P2 shows the best performances, affording a maximum luminance of 6500 cd/m 2 and a high peak efficiency of 2.11 cd/A.     

Influence of alkyl length on properties of piezofluorochromic aggregation induced emission compounds derived from 9,10-bis[(N-alkylphenothiazin-3-yl)vinyl]anthracene

Three 9,10-bis[(N-alkylphenothiazin-3-yl)vinyl]anthracene derivatives with different propyl, hexyl, and dodecyl side chains (AnPh₃, AnPh₆, and AnPh₁₂) were synthesized and confirmed by standard spectroscopic methods. All of the compounds exhibited obvious aggregation induced emission (AIE) and piezofluorochromic (PFC) properties. The PFC behaviors were investigated and showed that proportional alkyl-length dependent relationship existed not only in the ground states of the compounds, but also in the melted states compared with the fumed states of the compounds. The PFC mechanism was explored and ascribed to the crystalline–amorphous phase transformation. More importantly, these derivatives showed reversible significant PFC properties and reproducibility in various states including fumed, ground, annealed, and melted states, making them promising stimuli-responsive and smart luminescent materials for pressure-sensors, information-recording, and light-emitting device applications.     

Synthesis and characterization of naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based near infrared chromophores with two-photon absorbing properties

A new series of 2,7-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-benzo[lmn][3,8]-phenanthroline-1,3,6,8-tetraone (NDI) based pseudo-quadrupolar molecules (1-6) is presented and their two-photon absorption (2PA) cross-sections measured with the Z-scan method. The spectral properties of these compounds can be fine-tuned via modification of the donor segments. The corresponding 2PA cross-section (σ₂) values at the most readily available 800 nm excitation range from 229±15 to 1092±59 GM owing to differences in conjugation length and/or position of substitution.     

Synthesis and fluorescence properties of 7-hydroxy-3-(2-pyridyl)coumarin derivatives

Three coumarin derivatives, 7-hydroxy-3-(2-pyridyl)coumarin (HPC), 7-(4-(5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzyloxy)-3-(2-pyridyl)coumarin (Ox-PC), and 7-(4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)butoxy)-3-(2-pyridyl)coumarin (Cz-PC), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H NMR, FT-IR, and UV?Cvis absorption spectra. The fluorescence behaviors of the compounds in methanol solutions and solid states were investigated. HPC exhibits weak green emission, whereas Cz-PC and Ox-PC show strong blue emissions in dilute solutions.     

Hybrid molecular nanostructures with donor-acceptor chains

We have fabricated hybrid molecular chain structures formed by electron acceptor compound 1 and electron donor molecules 2 and 3 at the liquid/solid interface of graphite surface.The structural details of the mono-component and the binary assemblies are revealed by high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).Compound 1 can form two well-ordered lamellar patterns at different concentrations.In the co-adsorption structures,compounds 2 and 3 can insert into the space between molecular chains of compound 1 and form large area well-ordered nanoscale phase separated lamellar structures.The unit cell parameters for the coassemblies can be "flexibly" adjusted to make the electron donors and acceptors perfectly match along the molecular chains.Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) results indicate that the electronic properties of individual molecular donors and acceptors are preserved in the binary self-assembly.These results provide molecular insight into the nanoscale phase separation of organic electron acceptors and donors on surfaces and are helpful for the fabrication of surface supramolecular structures and molecular devices.