Diarylboryl–phenoselenazine hybrid AIEgens: design, synthesis, and multimodal stimuli-responsive properties

Abstract

The development of smart materials with responsiveness to multiple external stimuli has emerged as a transformative frontier in the field of advanced functional materials science. This study reports the design and synthesis of five novel functionalized donor–acceptor (D–A) type aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules, which are constructed via covalent integration of phenoselenazine (PSeZ) (as an electron-rich donor) with organoboron moieties (as electron-deficient acceptors). The diarylboryl–PSeZ derivatives exhibit exceptional AIE characteristics, which are attributed to the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) mechanism. These materials demonstrate remarkable photophysical responses to multiple stimuli: (1) selective fluorescence enhancement for fluoride ions (F⁻) with a detection limit of 1.8 µM; (2) mechanochromic behavior characterized by a significant red-shift of 142 nm (from 478 nm to 620 nm); and (3) reversible electrochromism, featuring color transitions from colorless to blue or purple upon the application of a voltage (0–1.0 V) under both visible light and ultraviolet lamp irradiation. Owing to their multifunctional responsiveness, the diarylboryl–PSeZ type AIEgens hold considerable promise as candidates for smart chemical sensors, security inks, and electro-optical devices. This work provides a novel strategy for the development of multi-stimuli-responsive materials with tunable photoelectric properties.