Issue 12, 2021

Pressure-induced phosphorescence enhancement and piezochromism of a carbazole-based cyclic trinuclear Cu(i) complex

Abstract

Interest in piezochromic luminescence has increased in recent decades, even though it is mostly limited to pure organic compounds and fluorescence. In this work, a Cu3Pz3 (Cu3, Pz: pyrazolate) cyclic trinuclear complex (CTC) with two different crystalline polymorphs, namely 1a and 1b, was synthesized. The CTC consists of two functional moieties: carbazole (Cz) chromophore and Cu3 units. In crystals of 1a, discrete CzCu3Cu3Cz stacking was found, showing abnormal pressure-induced phosphorescence enhancement (PIPE), which was 12 times stronger at 2.23 GPa compared to under ambient conditions. This novel observation is ascribed to cooperation between heavy-atom effects (i.e., from Cu atoms) and metal–ligand charge-transfer promotion. The infinite π–π stacking of Cz motifs was observed in 1b and it exhibited good piezochromism as the pressure increased. This work demonstrates a new concept in the design of piezochromic materials to achieve PIPE via combining organic chromophores and metal–organic phosphorescence emitters.

Graphical abstract: Pressure-induced phosphorescence enhancement and piezochromism of a carbazole-based cyclic trinuclear Cu(i) complex

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
28 dec 2020
Accepted
27 jan 2021
First published
28 jan 2021
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2021,12, 4425-4431

Pressure-induced phosphorescence enhancement and piezochromism of a carbazole-based cyclic trinuclear Cu(I) complex

M. Xie, X. Chen, K. Wu, Z. Lu, K. Wang, N. Li, R. Wei, S. Zhan, G. Ning, B. Zou and D. Li, Chem. Sci., 2021, 12, 4425 DOI: 10.1039/D0SC07058K

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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