Heterocyclic quinol-type fluorophores: synthesis, X-ray crystal structures, and solid-state photophysical properties of novel 5-hydroxy-5-substituent-benzo[b]naphtho[1,2-d]furan-6-one and 3-hydroxy-3-substituent-benzo[kl]xanthen-2-one derivatives

Novel heterocyclic quinol-type fluorophores (4 a-c) and (5 a-c) that contain substituents (R = Me, Bu, Ph) with nonconjugated linkages to the chromophore skeleton have been synthesized and their photophysical properties have been investigated in solution and in the solid state. Considerable differences in the absorption and fluorescence spectra were observed between the two states. Quinols 4 a-c and 5 a-c exhibited almost the same absorption and fluorescence spectra in solution; however, their solid-state fluorescence excitation and emission spectra in the crystalline state were quite different. We performed X-ray crystallographic analyses to elucidate the dramatic effect of the substituents of the nonconjugated linkage on the solid-state fluorescence excitation and emission spectra. The relationships between the solid-state photophysical properties and the chemical and crystal structures of 4 a-c and 5 a-c are discussed on the basis of the X-ray crystal structures.     

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.     

Novel fluorescent N,O-chelated fluorine-boron benzamide complexes containing thiadiazoles: Synthesis and fluorescence characteristics

A series of N-(5-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)benzamide derivatives and their corresponding BF₂ complexes were synthesized, and their photophysical properties were determined. The effect of the derivatives with various substituents on the benzamide ring and phenyl-1, 3, 4-thiadiazole ring were examined in different organic solvents and in the solid state. These dyes enjoy a series of excellent photophysical properties including the large Stokes shift, solid-state fluorescence, and aggregation-induced emission effect (AIEE).     

Shedding Light on the Origin of Solid-State Luminescence Enhancement in Butterfly Molecules

Different molecular strategies have been carefully evaluated to produce solid-state luminescence enhancement (SLE) in compounds that show dark states in solution. A set of α-phenylstyrylarene derivatives with a butterfly shape have been designed and synthesised, for the first time, with the aim of improving the solid-state fluorescence emission of their parent styrylarene compounds. Although these butterfly molecules are not fluorescent in solution, one of them (1,2,4,5-tetra(α-phenylstyryl)benzene) exhibits a fluorescence quantum yield as high as 68 % in a drop-cast sample and 31 % in its crystalline form. In contrast, 1,3,5-tris(α-phenylstyryl)benzene and 4,6-bis(α-phenylstyryl)pyrimidine do not show SLE. A range of fluorescence spectroscopy experiments and DFT calculations were carried out to unravel the origin of different photophysical behaviour of these compounds in the solid state. The results indicate that a rational strategy to control the SLE effect in luminogens depends on a delicate balance between molecular properties and inter-/intramolecular interactions in the solid state.     

Molecular design of novel non-planar heteropolycyclic fluorophores with bulky substituents: convenient synthesis and solid-state fluorescence characterization

Novel indeno[1,2-b]benzo[4,5-e]pyran-11-one-type fluorophores exhibiting intense solid-state fluorescence were conveniently synthesized and the relation between their solid-state photophysical properties and the X-ray crystal structures were investigated, which demonstrates that non-planar structures with sterical hindered substituents prevent the fluorophores from forming short pi-pi contacts causing fluorescence quenching in the solid state.     

Gel- and Solid-State-Structure of Dialanine and Diphenylalanine Amphiphiles: Importance of C⋅⋅⋅H Interactions in Gelation

To investigate the role of the capping group in the solution and solid-state self-assembly of short peptide amphiphiles, dialanine and diphenylalanine have been linked via the N-terminus to a benzene (phenyl) and 3-naphthyl capping groups using three different methylene linkers; (CH₂)_n, n=0–4 for the benezene and 0, 1 and 2 for the naphthalene capping group. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), oscillatory rheology, circular dichroism (CD), and IR analysis have been employed to understand the properties of these peptide-based hydrogels. Several X-ray structures of these short peptide gelators give useful conformational information regarding packing. A comparison of these solid state structures with their gel state properties yielded greater insights into the process of self-assembly in short peptide gelators, particularly in terms of the important role of C⋅⋅⋅H interactions appear to play in determining if a short aromatic peptide does form a gel or not.     

Asymmetric indolylmaleimide derivatives and their complexation with zinc(II)-cyclen

The spectroscopic properties of two asymmetric indolylmaleimide derivatives, 4-bromo-3-(1'H-indol-3'-yl)maleimide and 4-methyl-3-(1'H-indol-3'-yl)maleimide, are investigated. The bromo derivative was crystallized and its X-ray structure was determined. Both compounds are strongly colored while their separate components (indole and maleimide) absorb in the UV region only. To understand the ground- and excited-state behavior, the photophysical properties of the two compounds were studied in detail by steady state and time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy. Their solvatochromic behavior was investigated by using the Kamlet-Taft approach, which indicates some charge transfer (CT) character in the excited state. Nano- and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy was used for the identification and investigation of the CT state. Furthermore, the effect of the complexation with zinc(II) 1,4,7,11-tetraazacyclododecane (Zn-cyclen) on the photophysical properties of these two compounds was studied. An enhancement of the fluorescence intensity upon self-assembly (up to 90 times) and high association constants were observed, which illustrate the potential use of these compounds as luminescent sensors. DFT calculations indicate that HOMO-1 to LUMO excitation is mainly responsible for the charge transfer character and that this transition changes its character drastically when Zn-cyclen complexation occurs, thus giving it sensor properties.     

Novel silicon-based alternating copolymers: synthesis,photophysical properties,and tunable EL colors

We synthesized novel silicon-based alternating copolymers for tunable electroluminescent (EL) colors by Heck synthetic method. Their thermal, photophysical and electroluminescent properties were studied. Most of them exhibited a blue-green EL color at the operating voltage of lower than 12 V. Unusually, we observed the white EL color from a EL device based on SiPhPVK. From photophysical studies and the time-resolved PL spectroscopies, it might be attributed to the formation of stabilized excited state in SiPhPVK. Furthermore, in order to reduce the operating voltage of their LED with increasing the electron affinity of the main chain in silicon-based alternating copolymers, we synthesized the silicon-based copolymers containing electron transporting oxadiazole units in main chain. We also studied their photophysical and electroluminescent properties.     

Phosphorescent self-assembled Pt(II) tetranuclear metallocycles

A series of rigid Pt(II) diimine diacetylide complexes and their corresponding metallocyclic derivatives were synthesized through coordination-driven self-assembly. The photophysical properties of these complexes have been studied in detail, revealing exceptionally high RT phosphorescence quantum yields and lifetimes when the excited state becomes localized on the π-conjugated bridging-ligand following intramolecular charge-transfer sensitization.     

Effect of polymer chain length on membrane perturbation activity of cationic phenylene ethynylene oligomers and polymers

The interactions of poly(phenylene ethynylene)- (PPE-) based cationic conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) and oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s (OPEs) with different model lipid membrane systems were investigated to gain insight into the relationship between molecular structure and membrane perturbation ability. The CPE and OPE compounds exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, and cell walls and membranes are believed to be their main targets. To better understand how the size, in terms of the number of repeat units, of the CPEs and OPEs affects their membrane disruption activities, a series of PPE-based CPEs and OPEs were synthesized and studied. A number of photophysical techniques were used to investigate the interactions of CPEs and OPEs with model membranes, including unilamellar vesicles and lipid monolayers at the air/water interface. CPE- or OPE-induced dye leakage from vesicles reveals that the CPEs and OPEs selectively perturb model bacterial membranes and that their membrane perturbation abilities are highly dependent on molecular size. Consistent with dye-leakage assay results, the CPEs and OPEs also exhibit chain-length-dependent ability to insert into 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (DPPG) monolayers. Our results suggest that, for PPE-based CPE and OPE antimicrobials, chain length can be tuned to optimize their membrane perturbation ability.     

Aggregation induced colour change for phosphorescent iridium(III) complex-based anionic surfactants

We describe a new class of water soluble metallosurfactant molecules based on luminescent neutral iridium(III) complexes. The compounds possess an alkyl chain terminated with a negatively charged group, a sulphate. Due to their amphiphilic nature they assemble in aggregates in water and their photophysical properties, as well as the morphological characterization of the assemblies are presented. In particular, UV-Vis absorption, steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy techniques have been employed towards the analysis of the assemblies in different media. Comparison with the single components shows that the aggregates have very different photophysical properties. Importantly, the change in colour upon self-assembly is a remarkable feature which could be used for the design of probes which can change properties in different environments.     

Cyan-Emitting Cu(I) Complexes and Their Luminescent Metallopolymers

Copper complexes have shown great versatility and a wide application range across the natural and life sciences, with a particular promise as organic light-emitting diodes. In this work, four novel heteroleptic Cu(I) complexes were designed in order to allow their integration in advanced materials such as metallopolymers. We herein present the synthesis and the electrochemical and photophysical characterisation of these Cu(I) complexes, in combination with ab initio calculations. The complexes present a bright cyan emission (λ_em ~ 505 nm) in their solid state, both as powder and as blends in a polymer matrix. The successful synthesis of metallopolymers embedding two of the novel complexes is shown. These copolymers were also found to be luminescent and their photophysical properties were compared to those of their polymer blends. The chemical nature of the polymer backbone contributes significantly to the photoluminescence quantum yield, paving a route for the strategic design of novel luminescent Cu(I)-based polymeric materials.     

Effect of halogen bonding on supramolecular assembly and photophysical properties of diaryl oxalates

In order to determine the effect of halogen bonding on supramolecular assemblies and photophysical properties of diaryl oxalates, diaryl oxalate itself and its derivatives with fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine substituents in the p-position of phenyl rings were studied and compared. Their single-crystal structures were studied by geometrical analysis and theoretical calculation. The study reveals that different halogen bonds are formed with respect to different halogen atoms, such as C…F and X…X (bromine and iodine atoms) interactions, and molecular stacking modes would be affected by halogen bonds directly. Comparative studies of photophysical properties in dilute solution and solid state indicate that halogen substitutions would not affect the emission processes of diaryl oxalates in dilute solution; this is not the case for their solid state. This work has demonstrated that halogen bonds play an important role in regulating structures and photophysical properties of diaryl oxalates.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of a Ag/oligo(phenyleneethynylene)/Ag sandwich

α,ω-Dithiols are a useful class of compounds in molecular electronics because of their ability to easily adsorb to two metal surfaces, producing a molecular junction. We have prepared Ag nanosphere/oligo(phenyleneethynylene)/Ag sol (AgNS/OPE/Ag sol) and Ag nanowire/oligo(phenyleneethynylene)/Ag sol (AgNW/OPE/Ag sol) sandwiches to simulate the architecture of a molecular electronic device. This was achieved by self-assembly of OPE on the silver nanosurface, deprotection of the terminal sulfur, and deposition of Ag sol atop the monolayer. These sandwiches were then characterized by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The resulting spectra were compared to the bulk spectrum of the dimer and to the Ag nanosurface/OPE SERS spectra. The intensities of the SERS spectra in both systems exhibit a strong dependence on Ag deposition time and the results are also suggestive of intense interparticle coupling of the electromagnetic fields in both the AgNW/OPE/Ag and the AgNS/OPE/Ag systems. Three previously unobserved bands (1219, 1234, 2037 cm(-1)) arose in the SER spectra of the sandwiches and their presence is attributed to the strong enhancement of the electromagnetic field which is predicted from the COSMOL computational package. The 544 cm(-1) disulfide bond which is observed in the spectrum of solid OPE but is absent in the AgNS/OPE/Ag and AgNW/OPE/Ag spectra is indicative of chemisorption of OPE to the nanoparticles through oxidative dissociation of the disulfide bond.     

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.     

Self-assembly of rod-coil block copolymers

We present a self-consistent field theory model for the self-assembly behavior of rod-coil block copolymers. The orientational interactions between the rods were modeled through a Maier-Saupe interaction, while the enthalpic interactions between rods and coils were modeled through a standard Flory-Huggins approach. We outline a "real-space" numerical approach to solve the self-consistent field equations for such rod-coil block copolymers. A major focus of our work is upon the nonlamellar phases observed in the experiments on such polymers. To develop a physical understanding of these phases and their regimes of occurrence, we compute the two-dimensional phase diagram for our model. The latter shows significant departures from the one-dimensional phase diagram, but matches qualitatively with the existing experimental results. We also present scaling arguments that rationalize the numerical results for the self-assembly behavior.     

Uniform Colloidal Polymer Rods by Stabilizer-Assisted Liquid-Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly

The synthesis of anisotropic colloidal building blocks is essential for their self-assembly into hierarchical materials. Here, a highly efficient stabilizer-assisted liquid-crystallization-driven self-assembly (SA-LCDSA) strategy was developed to achieve monodisperse colloidal polymer rods. This strategy does not require the use of block copolymers, but only homopolymers or random copolymers. The resulting rods have tunable size and aspect ratios, as well as well-defined columnar liquid crystal structures. The integrated triphenylene units enable the rods to exhibit unusual photo-induced fluorescence enhancement and accompanying irradiation memory effect, which, as demonstrated, are attractive for information encryption/decryption of paper documents. In particular, unwanted document decryption during delivery can be examined by fluorescence kinetics. This SA-LCDSA-based approach can be extended to synthesize other functional particles with desired π-molecular units.     

Suppression of aggregation-induced fluorescence quenching in pyrene derivatives: photophysical properties and crystal structures

Two new pyrene-based fluorophores, namely 1-[4-(2,2-diphenylvinyl)phenyl]pyrene (PVPP) and 1,3,6,8-tetrakis[4-(2,2-diphenylvinyl)phenyl]pyrene (TPVPP), were synthesized through Suzuki coupling reaction and well characterized. PVPP successfully suppresses the fluorescence quenching of pyrene units in the solid state, displaying aggregation-induced enhanced emission. Despite the same substituent, TPVPP shows a different fluorescent behavior. On the basis of the crystal structures, the distinct optical behavior is discussed and clarified. The intermolecular C-H?π interaction has a dramatic effect on their photophysical properties in the solid state.     

Self-Assembly of Semiconductor Quantum Dots using Organic Templates

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, known as quantum dots (QDs), are regarded as brightly photoluminescent nanomaterials possessing outstanding photophysical properties, such as high photodurability and tunable absorption and emission wavelengths. Therefore, QDs have great potential for a wide range of applications, such as in photoluminescent materials, biosensors and photovoltaic devices. Since the development of synthetic methods for accessing high-quality QDs with uniform morphology and size, various types of QDs have been designed and synthesized, and their photophysical properties dispersed in solutions and at the single QD level have been reported in detail. In contrast to dispersed QDs, the photophysical properties of assembled QDs have not been revealed, although the structures of the self-assemblies are closely related to the device performance of the solid-state QDs. Therefore, creating and controlling the self-assembly of QDs into well-defined nanostructures is crucial but remains challenging. In this Minireview, we discuss the notable examples of assembled QDs such as dimers, trimers and extended QD assemblies achieved using organic templates. This Minireview should facilitate future advancements in materials science related to the assembled QDs.