Optical study of the formation of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-based fluorescent nanoaggregates

Pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives possessing different sterically-hindered end-groups at position 7 of the heterocycle were studied and compared with respect to nanoaggregate formation ability by the reprecipitation method in aqueous solutions. The emergence of nanoaggregates with an increasing water fraction in THF/water mixture was traced by observing sudden changes in spectral and transient fluorescence dynamics accompanied by fluorescence efficiency turn-on. The aggregation induced emission with a maximal 20-fold emission efficiency enhancement was obtained. Tuning of the nanoaggregates sizes from about 50 nm to 600 nm by increasing the THF/water ratio was revealed by electron microscopy. Almost perfect spherical shapes of the nanoaggregates and their structureless fluorescence bands similar to those of their neat amorphous films suggested an amorphous-like nature of the pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-based nanoparticles.