Issue 14, 2016

Aggregation-induced emission enhancement and mechanofluorochromic properties of α-cyanostilbene functionalized tetraphenyl imidazole derivatives

Abstract

Three tetraphenyl imidazole derivatives functionalized by an α-cyanostilbene unit (3a–3c) have been designed and synthesized. A combination of the representative aggregation-induced emission enhancement fluorophore and propeller sharp tetraphenyl imidazole unit in the same molecule achieved the integration of their function. 3a–3c emitted weakly in dilute organic solvents and showed an evident solvatochromic effect caused by strong intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), which has been confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Meanwhile, in the solid state, they exhibited obvious fluorescence and stimuli-responsive emission. The main emission peak of compound 3a was red-shifted from 519 nm to 550 nm after grinding. The reason could be explained that the destruction of the crystalline structure leads to the planarization of molecular conformation or the increase of conjugation.

Graphical abstract: Aggregation-induced emission enhancement and mechanofluorochromic properties of α-cyanostilbene functionalized tetraphenyl imidazole derivatives

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 10 2015
Accepted
15 12 2015
First published
15 12 2015

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016,4, 2971-2978

Author version available

Aggregation-induced emission enhancement and mechanofluorochromic properties of α-cyanostilbene functionalized tetraphenyl imidazole derivatives

Y. Zhang, H. Li, G. Zhang, X. Xu, L. Kong, X. Tao, Y. Tian and J. Yang, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016, 4, 2971 DOI: 10.1039/C5TC03348A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements