Issue 30, 2024

Fabrication of efficient and red-emissive salicylaldehyde Schiff base isomers for multi-scenario information decryption

Abstract

Due to their broad applications in information technology, biochemical sensors, and optoelectronic devices, stimuli-responsive fluorescent materials (SRFMs) have gained significant attention. With their simple synthesis and modification, Schiff bases are considered promising candidates for SRFMs. However, realizing highly efficient luminescence with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties as well as stimuli responses is still challenging due to the lack of clear structure–property relationships. In this work, a general strategy for constructing efficient and red-emissive salicylaldehyde Schiff bases is proposed utilizing the triphenylamine (TPA) substitution strategy. Experimental results and theoretical calculations illustrate that all four isomers show a typical AIE effect of the keto-form emission upon photoexcitation and red fluorescence due to the charge-transfer transition from TPA on the salicylaldehyde unit to the keto unit. The single-crystal structure also demonstrates that the introduction of dual TPA leads to appropriate intermolecular interactions, resulting in high-intensity fluorescence. Moreover, with excellent acidochromic properties under both daylight and UV light conditions, p,p-2TPA is successfully applied in steganography and multi-scenario information decryption. This work not only realizes efficient and red-colored luminescence from a simple salicylaldehyde Schiff base skeleton but also provides a strategy for constructing SRFMs with AIE properties.

Graphical abstract: Fabrication of efficient and red-emissive salicylaldehyde Schiff base isomers for multi-scenario information decryption

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 mar 2024
Accepted
12 iyn 2024
First published
13 iyn 2024

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2024,12, 11394-11401

Fabrication of efficient and red-emissive salicylaldehyde Schiff base isomers for multi-scenario information decryption

W. Zhong, Y. Wu, Y. Lin, S. Li, J. Zhang and X. Cai, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2024, 12, 11394 DOI: 10.1039/D4TC01287A

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