From Tetraphenylfurans to Ring-Opened (Z)-1,4-Enediones: ACQ Fluorophores versus AIEgens with Distinct Responses to Mechanical Force and Light

Aggregation/Crystallization-Induced Emission in Naphthyridine-Based Carbazolyl-Modified Donor-Acceptor Boron Dyes Tunable by Fluorine Atoms

Four donor-acceptor boron difluoride complexes based on the carbazole electron donor and the [1,3,5,2]oxadiazaborinino[3,4-a][1,8]naphthyridine acceptor were designed, synthesized, and systematically spectroscopically investigated in solutions, in dye-doped polymer films, and in the solid states. The dyes exhibit an intense blue to red solid-state emission with photoluminescence quantum yields of up to 59 % in pure dye samples and 86 % in poly(methyl methacrylate) films. All boron complexes show aggregation-induced emission and reversible mechanofluorochromism. The optical properties of these dyes and their solid state luminescence can be tuned by substitution pattern, i. e., the substituents at the naphthyridine unit. Exchange of CH3- for CF3-groups does not only increase the intramolecular charge transfer character, but also provides a crystallization-induced emission enhancement.

Photoresponsive Diarylethene-Containing Polymers: Recent Advances and Future Challenges

Photoresponsive polymers have attracted increasing interest owing to their potential applications in anticounterfeiting, information encryption, adhesives, etc. Among them, diarylethene (DAE)-containing polymers are one of the most promising photoresponsive polymers and have unique thermal stability and fatigue resistance compared to azobenzene- and spiropyran-containing polymers. Herein, the design of DAE-containing polymers based on different types of structures, including main chain polymers, side-chain polymers, and crosslinked polymers, is introduced. The mechanism and applications of DAE-containing polymers in anti-counterfeiting, information encryption, light-controllable adhesives, and photoinduced healable materials are reviewed. In addition, the remaining challenges of DAE-containing polymers are also discussed.

Angularly fused diaza-dinaphthopyrenes: regio-selective synthesis, crystal structures and isomer-dependent mechanochromic fluorescent properties

We report a one-pot synthesis of a series of unprecedented angular-fused diaza-dinaphthopyrene isomers (1,8-DNPy and 1,6-DNPy) in high yields, which are enabled by regio-selective Bischler-Napieralski cyclization to fuse two quinolone rings either on the same or opposite faces of a pyrene core. Benefiting from the high reactivity of the 1- and 8-positions of the pyrene ring, steric effect from substitution and remarkably different dipole moments, high ring closure selectivity for the 1,8-form vs. the 1,6-form up to 6 : 1 is achieved with ease of separation. With differentiated molecular symmetry, conformation, intermolecular interactions and aromaticity, the two kinds of regio-isomers exhibit distinct single-crystal structures and optoelectronic properties. Impressively, isomer-dependent mechanochromic fluorescent properties of these 2D-azaacenes are identified, which are unique in their turn-on fluorescence feature and contrasting spectral shifts. These findings allow facile and modular access to regio-specific 2D-N-heteroarenes, which provide a way to create innovative optical sensors with improved sensitivity and fruitful fluorescent properties.

TBAI-Catalyzed Oxidative Coupling of Benzyl Ketones to Synthesize 2,3-Diaryl-1,4-Diketones in Water

An efficient and green route of C-C bond formation was disclosed to construct 2,3-diaryl-1,4-diketones from α-methylene ketones by the catalysis of tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI) with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidant in water. This reaction affords the desired products in good to excellent yields from readily available materials, with a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, tetrasubstituted furan and pyrrole were smoothly constructed from α-methylene ketones in one pot with 96 and 90% yields, respectively.

Emission Quenching in Tetraphenylfuran Crystal: Why This Propeller-Shaped Molecule Does Not Emit in the Condensed Phase

Due to their substantial fluorescence quantum yields in the crystalline phase, propeller-shaped molecules have recently gained significant attention as potential emissive materials for optoelectronic applications. For the family of cyclopentadiene derivatives, light-emission is highly dependent on the nature of heteroatomic substitutions. In this paper, we investigate excited state relaxation pathways in the tetraphenyl-furan molecule (TPF), which in contrast with other molecules in the family, shows emission quenching in the solid-state. For the singlet manifold, our calculations show nonradiative pathways associated with C-O elongation are blocked in both vacuum and the solid state. A fraction of the population can be transferred to the triplet manifold and, subsequently, to the ground state in both phases. This process is expected to be relatively slow due to the small spin-orbit couplings between the relevant singlet-triplet states. Emission quenching in crystalline TPF seems to be in line with more efficient exciton hopping rates. Our simulations help clarify the role of conical intersections, population of the triplet states and crystalline structure in the emissive response of propeller-shaped molecules.

Achieving Molecular Fluorescent Conversion from Aggregation-Caused Quenching to Aggregation-Induced Emission by Positional Isomerization

In this work, we synthesized a pair of positional isomers by attaching a small electron-donating pyrrolidinyl group at ortho- and para-positions of a conjugated core. These isomers exhibited totally different fluorescent properties. PDB2 exhibited obvious aggregation-induced emission properties. In contrast, PDB4 showed the traditional aggregation-caused quenching effect. Their different fluorescent properties were investigated by absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, density functional theory calculations and single-crystal structural analysis. These results indicated that the substituent position of the pyrrolidinyl groups affects the twisted degree of the isomers, which further induces different molecular packing modes, thus resulting in different fluorescent properties of these two isomers. This molecular design concept provided a new accurate strategy for designing new aggregation-induced emission luminogens.

Modular Synthesis of Furans with up to Four Different Substituents by a trans-Carboboration Strategy

Propargyl alcohols, on treatment with MHMDS (M=Na, K), B₂ (pin)₂ , an acid chloride and a palladium/copper co-catalyst system, undergo a reaction cascade comprised of trans-diboration, regioselective acylation, cyclization and dehydration to give trisubstituted furylboronic acid pinacol ester derivatives in good yields; subsequent Suzuki coupling allows a fourth substituent of choice to be introduced and hence tetrasubstituted (arylated) furans to be formed. In terms of modularity, the method seems unrivaled, not least because each product can be attained by two orthogonal but convergent ways ("diagonal split"). This asset is illustrated by the "serial" formation of a "library" of all twelve possible furan isomers that result from systematic permutation of four different substituents about the heterocyclic core.

Fluorescent BF2 complexes of pyridyl-isoindoline-1-ones: synthesis, characterization and their distinct response to mechanical force

Three boron-pyridyl-isoindoline-1-one based dyes (B1, B2, and B3) with varied side groups were synthesized and their mechanochromic fluorescence properties were studied.

Sequential halochromic/mechanochromic luminescence of pyridyl-substituted solid-state emissive dyes: thermally controlled stepwise recovery of the original emission color

A stepwise temperature-controlled emission-color switch has been achieved in a system that combines halochromic and mechanochromic luminescence in series.