Tuning solvatochromism and F− sensing via acceptor stoichiometry-mediated charge-transfer modulation in triarylboron-indolocarbazole systems

Abstract

Modulating charge transfer (CT) is key in donor–acceptor (D–A) emitter designs. By altering triarylboron acceptor stoichiometry on a strong donor scaffold indolocarbazole, two emitters, single-acceptor ICZ-1B and dual-acceptor ICZ-2B are developed. By comparison, ICZ-2B exhibits a greater solvatochromic response, the CT effect, and an outcompeted F⁻ detection limit of 5.18 × 10⁻⁸ M. This demonstrates that acceptor stoichiometry modulation is an effective strategy for developing high-performance D–A sensors.