Regulation of Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer Process and Photophysical Properties for Benzoxazole Isothiocyanate Fluorescent Dyes by Changing Atomic Electronegativity

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) is favored by researchers because of its unique optical properties. However, there are relatively few systematic studies on the effects of changing the electronegativity of atoms on the ESIPT process and photophysical properties. Therefore, we selected a series of benzoxazole isothiocyanate fluorescent dyes (2-HOB, 2-HSB, and 2-HSeB) by theoretical methods, and systematically studied the ESIPT process and photophysical properties by changing the electronegativity of chalcogen atoms. The calculated bond angle, bond length, energy gap, and infrared spectrum analysis show that the order of the strength of intramolecular hydrogen bonding of the three molecules is 2-HOB < 2-HSB < 2-HSeB. Correspondingly, the magnitude of the energy barrier of the potential energy curve is 2-HOB > 2-HSB > 2-HSeB. In addition, the calculated electronic spectrum shows that as the atomic electronegativity decreases, the emission spectrum has a redshift. Therefore, this work will offer certain theoretical guidance for the synthesis and application of new dyes based on ESIPT properties.     

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer in 2-(2'-arylsulfonamidophenyl)benzimidazole derivatives: the effect of donor and acceptor substituents

A series of water-soluble 2-(2'-arylsulfonamidophenyl)benzimidazole derivatives containing electron-donating and accepting groups attached to various positions of the fluorophore pi-system has been synthesized and characterized in aqueous solution at 0.1 M ionic strength. The measured pK(a)'s for deprotonation of the sulfonamide group of monosubstituted derivatives range between 6.75 and 9.33 and follow closely Hammett's free energy relationship. In neutral aqueous buffer, all compounds undergo efficient excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) to yield a strongly Stokes-shifted fluorescence emission from the phototautomer. Upon deprotonation of the sulfonamide nitrogen at high pH, ESIPT is interrupted to yield a new, blue-shifted emission band. The peak absorption and emission energies were strongly influenced by the nature of the substituents and their attachment positions on the fluorophore pi-system. The fluorescence quantum yield of the ESIPT tautomers revealed a significant correlation with the observed Stokes shifts. The study provides valuable information regarding substituent effects on the photophysical properties of this class of ESIPT fluorophores in an aqueous environment and may offer guidelines for designing emission ratiometric pH or metal-cation sensors for biological applications.     

Fine tuning the energetics of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT): white light generation in a single ESIPT system

Using 7-hydroxy-1-indanone as a prototype (I), which exhibits excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), chemical modification has been performed at C(2)-C(3) positions by fusing benzene (molecule II) and naphthalene rings, (molecule III). I undergoes an ultrafast rate of ESIPT, resulting in a unique tautomer emission (λ(max) ～530 nm), whereas excited-state equilibrium is established for both II and III, as supported by the dual emission and the associated relaxation dynamics. The forward ESIPT (normal to proton-transfer tautomer species) rates for II and III are deduced to be (30 ps)(-1) and (22 ps)(-1), respectively, while the backward ESIPT rates are (11 ps)(-1) and (48 ps)(-1). The ESIPT equilibrium constants are thus calculated to be 0.37 and 2.2 for II and III, respectively, giving a corresponding free energy change of 0.59 and -0.47 kcal/mol between normal and tautomer species. For III, normal and tautomer emissions in solid are maximized at 435 and 580 nm, respectively, achieving a white light generation with Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) (0.30, 0.27). An organic light-emitting diode based on III is also successfully fabricated with maximum brightness of 665 cd m(-2) at 20 V (885 mA cm(-2)) and the CIE coordinates of (0.26, 0.35). The results provide the proof of concept that the white light generation can be achieved in a single ESIPT system.     

Strategic emission color tuning of highly fluorescent imidazole-based excited-state intramolecular proton transfer molecules

Highly fluorescent molecules harnessing the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process are promising for a new generation of displays and light sources because they can offer very unique and novel optoelectronic properties which are different from those of conventional fluorescent dyes. To realize innovative ESIPT devices comprising full emission colors over the whole visible region, a molecular design strategy for predictable emission color tuning should be established. Here, we have developed a general strategy for a wide-range spectral tuning of imidazole-based ESIPT materials based on three different strategies--introduction of a nodal plane model, extension of effective conjugation length, and modification of heterocyclic rings. A series of nine ESIPT molecules were designed, synthesized and comprehensively investigated for their characteristic emission properties. All these molecules commonly showed no clear and transparent visible range absorption with no absorption color, but showed different colors of intense photoluminescence over broad visible regions from 450 nm (HPI) to 630 nm (HPNO) depending on their molecular structure. With the aid of density functional theory and time-dependent DFT calculations using M06, wB97XD, and B3LYP parameters with the 6-31G(d,p) basis set, these tuned emission bands of nine emitters were assigned from the stabilized excited state conformations that were derived from modified molecular structures.     

Crystal structure, spectroscopic, and theoretical investigations of excited-state proton transfer in the doubly hydrogen-bonded dimer of 2-butylamino-6-methyl-4-nitropyridine N-oxide

The crystal structure of 2-butylamino-6-methyl-4-nitropyridine N-oxide (2B6M) was resolved on the basis of X-ray diffraction. Solid 2B6M occurs in the form of a doubly hydrogen-bonded dimer with squarelike hydrogen-bonding network composed of two intra- (2.556(2) A) and two intermolecular (2.891(2) A) N-H...O type hydrogen bonds. The molecule thus has both a protonable and a deprotonable group that led us to investigate the possibility of an excited-state proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction in different solvents by means of experimental absorption, steady state, and time-resolved emission spectroscopy. The results were correlated with quantum mechanical TD-DFT and PM3 calculations. Experimental and theoretical findings show the possibility of an ESIPT reaction in polar solvents. It is demonstrated that in particular the emission spectra of 2B6M are very sensitive to solvent properties, and a large value of the Stokes shift (about 8000 cm(-1)) in acetonitrile is indicative for an ESIPT process. This conclusion is further supported by time-resolved fluorescence decay measurents that show dual exponential decay in polar solvents. Vertical excitation energies calculated by TD-DFT reproduce the experimental absorption maxima in nonpolar solvents well. The majority of electronic transitions in 2B6M is of pi --> pi* character with a charge shift from the electron-donating to the electron-accepting groups. The calculations show that, due to the charge redistribution on excitation, the acidity of the amino group increases significantly, which facilitates the proton transfer from the amino to the N-oxide group in the excited state.     

Photophysics of 6-(2′-hydroxy-4′-methoxyphenyl)-s-triazine photostabilizers

The room temperature photophysical properties of several sulphonated and unsulphonated 6-(2′-hydroxy-4′-methoxyphenyl)-s-triazines were investigated in a range of solvents by means of steady state and picosecond fluorescence spectroscopy. Compounds possessing phenyl or p-tolyl groups in the s-triazinyl ring exhibit only a very weak normal Stokes-shifted fluorescence, arising from the initially excited chromophore. Substitution of phenoxy groups into the s-triazinyl ring results in the appearance of an additional longer-wavelength fluorescence which is assigned to the keto tautomer, formed following excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). The rate constant for the (ESIPT) process that occurs in sodium 3-(3′,5′-diphenoxy-2′,4′,6′-triazinyl)-4-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzene sulphonate in water is estimated to be greater than 10¹¹ s⁻¹.     

REINVESTIGATION OF THE PHOTOPHYSICS OF 2-(2'-HYDROXY-4'-DIETHYLAMINOPHENYL)BENZOTHIAZOLE

Abstract— The photophysical properties of 2-(2'-hydroxy-4'-diethylaminophenyl) benzothiazole (HABT) have been investigated by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies. In n-heptane HABT exhibits both normal and tautomer emissions with ∼equal fluorescence intensity at room temperature, in contrast to a previous report in which negligible tautomer emission was observed. The normal/tautomer (400/500 nm) ratio of emission intensity increases as the temperature decreases. Two possible excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) mechanisms are proposed, which cannot be resolved at the present stage. One proposed mechanism incorporates state mixing between -OH and -N(C₂H₅)₂ charge transfer states, resulting in a significant energy barrier for ESIPT. An alternative mechanism is also proposed in which fast proton tunneling may take place between enol and keto forms, which are in equilibrium in the excited singlet state.     

Aggregation-induced emission enhancement of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole-based excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer compounds

A novel class of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole-based (HBT-based) excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) compounds, N,N'-di[3-Hydroxy-4-(2'-benzothiazole)phenyl]isophthalic amide (DHIA) and N,N'-di[3-Hydroxy-4-(2'-benzothiazole)phenyl]5-tert-butyl-isophthalic amide (DHBIA) has been feasibly synthesized and the properties of their nanoparticles in THF/H2O mixed solvent were investigated. Both compounds were found to exhibit aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) due to restricted intramolecular motion and easier intramolecular proton transfer in solid state. On identical experimental conditions, the emission of DHBIA aggregates increased more remarkably than that of DHIA. Different aggregation forms of these two organic compounds, due to the steric hindrance of a single tert-butyl group, could be responsible for the notably different degrees of the fluorescence enhancement. Their aggregation modes were investigated on the basis of time-dependent absorption, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, and molecular modeling with theoretical calculation. The photophysical dynamics were also depicted based on the extremely fast ESIPT four-level cycle.     

Fluorescent Probes Based on Charge and Proton Transfer for Probing Biomolecular Environment

Fluorescent probes for sensing fundamental properties of biomolecular environment, such as polarity and hydration, help to study assembly of lipids into biomembranes, sensing interactions of biomolecules and imaging physiological state of the cells. Here, we summarize major efforts in the development of probes based on two photophysical mechanisms: (i) an excited-state intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), which is represented by fluorescent solvatochromic dyes that shift their emission band maximum as a function of environment polarity and hydration; (ii) excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), with particular focus on 5-membered cyclic systems, represented by 3-hydroxyflavones, because they exhibit dual emission sensitive to the environment. For both ICT and ESIPT dyes, the design of the probes and their biological applications are summarized. Thus, dyes bearing amphiphilic anchors target lipid membranes and report their lipid organization, while targeting ligands direct them to specific organelles for sensing their local environment. The labels, amino acid and nucleic acid analogues inserted into biomolecules enable monitoring their interactions with membranes, proteins and nucleic acids. While ICT probes are relatively simple and robust environment-sensitive probes, ESIPT probes feature high information content due their dual emission. They constitute a powerful toolbox for addressing multitude of biological questions.     

Luminescent excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) dyes based on 4-alkyne-functionalized [2,2'-bipyridine]-3,3'-diol dyes

Functionalized 6,6'-dimethyl-3,3'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine dyes (BP(OH)(2)) exhibit relatively intense fluorescence from the relaxed excited state formed by excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). Bromo functionalization of (BP(OH)(2)) species followed by palladium(0)-catalyzed reactions allows the connection (via alkyne tethers) of functional groups, such as the singlet-emitter diazaboraindacene (bodipy) group or a chelating module (terpyridine; terpy). The X-ray structure of the terpy-based compound confirms the planarity of the 3,3'-dihydroxy-bipyridine unit. The new dyes exhibit relatively intense emission on the nanosecond timescale when in fluid solution, in the solid state at 298 K, and in rigid glasses at 77 K. In some cases, the excitation wavelength luminescence was observed and attributed to 1) inefficiency of the ESIPT process in particular compounds when not enough vibrational energy is introduced in the Franck-Condon state, which is populated by direct light excitation or 2) the presence of an additional excited state that deactivates to the ground state without undergoing the ESIPT process. For some selected species, the effect of the addition of zinc salts on the absorption and luminescence spectra was investigated. In particular, significant fluorescence changes were observed as a consequence of probable consecutive formation of a 1:1 and 1:2 molecular ratio of ligand/zinc adducts owing to coordination of Zn(II) ions by the bipyridyldiol moieties, except when an additional terpyridine subunit is present. In fact, this latter species preferentially coordinates to the Zn(II) ion in a 1:1 molecular ratio and further inhibits Zn(II) interaction. In the hybrid Bodipy/BP(OH)(2) species, complete energy transfer from the BP(OH)(2) to the bodipy fluorophore occurs, leading to exclusive emission from the lowest-lying bodipy subunit.     

Impact of Heteroatom Substitution on Dual-State Emissive Rigidified 2-(2’-hydroxyphenyl)benzazole Dyes: Towards Ultra-Bright ESIPT Fluorophores**

2-(2’-Hydroxyphenyl)benzazole (HBX) fluorophores are well-known excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) emitters largely studied for their synthetic versatility, photostability, strong solid-state fluorescence and ability to engineer dual emission, thus paving the way to applications as white emitters, ratiometric sensors, and cryptographic dyes. However, they are heavily quenched in solution, due to efficient non-radiative pathways taking place as a consequence of the proton transfer in the excited-state. In this contribution, the nature of the heteroring constitutive of these rigidified HBX dyes was modified and we demonstrate that this simple structural modification triggers major optical changes in terms of emission color, dual emission engineering, and importantly, fluorescent quantum yield. Investigation of the photophysical properties in solution and in the solid state of a series of ethynyl-TIPS extended HBX fluorophores, along with ab initio calculations demonstrate the very promising abilities of these dyes to act as bright dual-state emitters, in both solution (even in protic environments) and solid state.     

Molecular Packing and Solid-State Photophysical Properties of 1,3,6,8-Tetraalkylpyrenes

The relationship between the photophysical properties and molecular orientation of 1,3,6,8-tetraalkylpyrenes in the solid state is described herein. The introduction of alkyl groups with different chain structures (in terms of length and branching) did not affect the photophysical properties in solution, but significantly shifted the emission wavelengths and fluorescence quantum yields in the solid state for some samples. Pyrenes bearing ethyl, isobutyl, or neopentyl groups at the 1-, 3-, 6-, and 8-positions showed similar emission profiles in both the solution and solid states. In contrast, pyrenes bearing other alkyl groups exhibited an excimer emission in the solid state, similar to that of the parent pyrene. On studying the photophysical properties in the solid state with respect to the obtained crystal structures, the observed solid-state photophysical properties were found to depend on the relative position of the pyrene chromophores. The solid-state photophysical properties can be controlled by the alkyl groups, which provide changing crystal packing. Among the pyrenes tested, 1,3,6,8-tetraethylpyrene showed the highest fluorescence quantum yield of 0.88 in the solid state.     

Comprehensive studies on an overall proton transfer cycle of the ortho-green fluorescent protein chromophore

Initiated by excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction, an overall reaction cycle of 4-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-1,2-dimethyl-1H-imidazol-5(4H)-one (o-HBDI), an analogue of the core chromophore of the green fluorescent protein (GFP), has been investigated. In contrast to the native GFP core, 4-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)-1,2-dimethyl-1H-imidazol-5(4H)-one (p-HBDI), which requires hydrogen-bonding relay to accomplish proton transfer in vivo, o-HBDI possesses a seven-membered-ring intramolecular hydrogen bond and thus provides an ideal system for mimicking an intrinsic proton-transfer reaction. Upon excitation, ESIPT takes place in o-HBDI, resulting in a ～600 nm proton-transfer tautomer emission. The o-HBDI tautomer emission, resolved by fluorescence upconversion, is comprised of an instantaneous rise to a few hundred femtosecond oscillation in the early relaxation stage. Frequency analysis derived from ultrashort pulse gives two low-frequency vibrations at 115 and 236 cm(-1), corresponding to skeletal deformation motions associated with the hydrogen bond. The results further conclude that ESIPT in o-HBDI is essentially triggered by low-frequency motions and may be barrierless along the reaction coordinate. Femtosecond UV/vis transient absorption spectra also provide supplementary evidence for the structural evolution during the reaction. In CH(3)CN, an instant rise of a 530 nm transient is resolved, which then undergoes 7.8 ps decay, accompanied by the growth of a rather long-lived 580 nm transient species. It is thus concluded that following ESIPT the cis-proton transfer isomer undergoes cis-trans-isomerization. The results of viscosity-dependent dynamics are in favor of the one-bond-flip mechanism, which is in contrast to the volume-conserving isomerization behavior for cis-stilbene and p-HBDI. Further confirmation is given by the picosecond-femtosecond transient IR absorption spectra, where several new and long-lived IR bands in the range of 1400-1500 cm(-1) are assigned to the phenyl in-plane breathing motions of the trans-proton transfer tautomer. Monitored by the nanosecond transient absorption, the 580 nm transient undergoes a ～7.7 μs decay constant, accompanied by the growth of a new ～500 nm band. The latter is assigned to a deprotonated tautomer species, which then undergoes the ground-state reverse proton recombination to the original o-HBDI in ～50 μs, achieving an overall, reversible proton transfer cycle. This assignment is unambiguously supported by pump-probe laser induced fluorescence studies. On these standpoints, a comparison of photophysical properties among o-HBDI, p-HBDI, and wild-type GFP is discussed in detail.     

Structural and photoluminescence properties of excited state intramolecular proton transfer capable compounds-potential emissive and electron transport materials

Electronic factors influencing the photoluminescence properties and rates of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction of o-hydroxy derivatives of 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole have been studied. The potential of these molecules as emissive and electron transport materials in designing improved organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) has been studied by analyzing possible reasons for the unusually high Stokes shifts and ESIPT reaction rates. Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods have been used to calculate the ground and excited state properties of the phototautomers that are the ESIPT reaction products. We study the relative effect of electron-withdrawing substituents on the proton-acceptor moiety and predict that the lowest ESIPT rate (1.9 x 10(11) s(-1)) is achieved with a dimethylamino substituent and that the Stokes shifts are around 11 000 cm(-1) for all three derivatives.     

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer in 2-(2'-arylsulfonamidophenyl)benzimidazole derivatives: insights into the origin of donor substituent-induced emission energy shifts

Donor-substituted 2-(2'-arylsulfonamidophenyl)benzimidazoles undergo efficient excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) upon photoexcitation. The tautomer emission energy depends strongly on the substituent attachment position on the fluorophore pi-system. While substitution with a donor group in the para-position relative to the sulfonamide moiety yields an emission energy that is red-shifted relative to the unsubstituted fluorophore, fluorescence of the meta-substituted derivative appears blue-shifted. To elucidate the origin of the surprisingly divergent emission shifts, we performed detailed photophysical and quantum chemical studies with a series of methoxy- and pyrrole-substituted derivatives. The nature and contribution of solvent-solute interactions on the emission properties were analyzed on the basis of solvatochromic shift data using Onsager's reaction field model, Reichardt's empirical solvent polarity scale ET(30), as well as Kamlet-Abboud-Taft's empirical solvent index. The studies revealed that all ESIPT tautomers emit from a moderately polarized excited-state whose dipole moment is not strongly influenced by the donor-attachment position. Furthermore, the negative solvatochromic shift behavior was most pronounced in protic solvents presumably due to specific hydrogen-bonding interactions. The extrapolated gas-phase emission energies correlated qualitatively well with the trends in Stokes shifts, suggesting that solute-solvent interactions do not play a significant role in explaining the divergent emission energy shifts. Detailed quantum chemical calculations not only confirmed the moderately polarized nature of the ESIPT tautomers but also provided a rational for the observed emission shifts based on the differential change in the HOMO and LUMO energies. The results gained from this study should provide guidelines for tuning the emission properties of this class of ESIPT fluorophores with potential applications in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, or materials science.     

Steric control of the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer in 3-hydroxyquinolones: steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence study

3-Hydroxyquinolones (3HQs), similarly to their 3-hydroxychromone analogs, undergo excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) resulting in dual emission. In the ground state, 2-phenyl-3HQ derivatives are not flat due to a steric hindrance between the 2-phenyl group and the 3-OH group that participates in the ESIPT reaction. To study the effect of this steric hindrance on the ESIPT reaction, a number of 3HQ derivatives have been synthesized and characterized in different organic solvents by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. According to our results, 2-phenyl-3HQ derivatives undergo much faster ESIPT (by nearly 1 order of magnitude) than their 2-methyl-3HQ analogs. Moreover, 1-methyl-2-phenyl-3HQ having a strongly twisted 2-phenyl group undergoes a two- to three-fold slower ESIPT compared to 2-phenyl-3HQ. These results suggest that the flatter conformation of 2-phenyl-3HQ, which allows a close proximity of the 2-phenyl and 3-OH groups, favors a fast ESIPT reaction. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the 3HQ derivatives additionally confirm that the steric rather than the electronic effect of the 2-phenyl group is responsible for the faster ESIPT reaction. Based on the spectroscopic studies and quantum chemical calculations, we suggest that the 2-phenyl group decreases the rotational freedom of its proximal 3-OH group in the more planar conformation of 2-phenyl-3HQ. As a result, the conformations of 3HQ, where the 3-OH group orients to form an intramolecular H-bond with the 4-carbonyl group, are favored over those with a disrupted intramolecular H-bond. Therefore, the 2-phenyl group sterically favors the intramolecular H-bond and thus accelerates the ESIPT reaction. This conclusion provides a new understanding of the ESIPT process in 3-hydroxyquinolones and related systems and suggests new possibilities for the design of ESIPT based molecular sensors and switchers.     

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT): from principal photophysics to the development of new chromophores and applications in fluorescent molecular probes and luminescent materials

In this perspective we introduce the basic photophysics of the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) chromophores, then the state-of-the-art development of the ESIPT chromophores and their applications in chemosensors, biological imaging and white-light emitting materials are summarized. Most of the applications of the ESIPT chromophores are based on the photophysics properties, such as design of fluorescent chemosensors by perturbation of the ESIPT process upon interaction with the analytes, their use as biological fluorescent tags to study DNA-protein interaction by probing the variation of the hydration, or design of white-light emitting materials by employing the large Stokes shift of the ESIPT chromophores (to inhibit the F?ster energy transfer of the components). The photophysical mechanism of these applications is discussed. Furthermore, a new research topic concerning the ESIPT chromophores is proposed based on our group's results, that is, to develop organic triplet sensitizers with ESIPT chromophores.     

On the fluorescence of methyl salicylate: the significance of its IMHB

The two forms of methyl salicylate bearing an intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB) are responsible for the three fluorescence emissions produced by this compound on electronic excitation in inert media. Whereas the form possessing an IMHB between its hydroxyl group and ether oxygen undergoes no excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in its first excited electronic state, that with an IMHB involving the carbonyl oxygen exhibits ESIPT with near-unity efficiency. Whereas the former species exhibits standard photophysical behaviour, the latter species exhibits two fluorescence emissions from the same electronic excited state; a photophysical scheme is proposed, which brings together all the available photophysical evidence for methyl salicylate in inert media.     

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer molecules bearing o-hydroxy analogues of green fluorescent protein chromophore

o-Hydroxy analogues, 1a-g, of the green fluorescent protein chromophore have been synthesized. Their structures and electronic properties were investigated by X-ray single-crystal analyses, electrochemistry, and luminescence properties. In solid and nonpolar solvents 1a-g exist mainly as Z conformers that possess a seven-membered-ring hydrogen bond and undergo excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reactions, resulting in a proton-transfer tautomer emission. Fluorescence upconversion dynamics have revealed a coherent type of ESIPT, followed by a fast vibrational/solvent relaxation (<1 ps) to a twisted (regarding exo-C(5)-C(4)-C(3) bonds) conformation, from which a fast population decay of a few to several tens of picoseconds was resolved in cyclohexane. Accordingly, the proton-transfer tautomer emission intensity is moderate (0.08 in 1e) to weak (～10(-4) in 1a) in cyclohexane. The stronger intramolecular hydrogen bonding in 1g suppresses the rotation of the aryl-alkene bond, resulting in a high yield of tautomer emission (Φ(f) ≈ 0.2). In the solid state, due to the inhibition of exo-C(5)-C(4)-C(3) rotation, intense tautomer emission with a quantum yield of 0.1-0.9 was obtained for 1a-g. Depending on the electronic donor or acceptor strength of the substituent in either the HOMO or LUMO site, a broad tuning range of the emission from 560 (1g) to 670 nm (1a) has been achieved.