Star-Shaped Donor-π-Acceptor Conjugated Molecules: Synthesis, Properties, and Modification of Their Absorptions Features

Near-infrared electrochemiluminescence biosensors facilitated by thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters for ctDNA analysis

The near-infrared electrochemiluminescence technique (NIR ECL) has gained significant attention as a powerful analytical tool in biomedicine and clinical diagnosis due to its inherent advantages. In this work, we successfully synthesized a novel NIR ECL emitter of TPA-DCPP nanoparticles (NPs) with a D-π-A-π-D configuration. By utilizing the thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) property, we achieved enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emission through complete exciton harvesting for radiative decay. Specifically, when BDEA was used as a co-reactant, the TPA-DCPP NPs exhibited strong bandgap ECL emission. Additionally, they demonstrated an exceptionally higher ECL efficiency compared to conventional near-infrared fluorescence organic nanomaterials (BSeT-BT NPs). By integrating the efficient anodic ECL performance of TPA-DCPP NPs with Exo III-assisted polymerase enzyme reaction cascade amplification, a highly efficient ECL resonance energy transfer (ECL-RET) platform was developed for ultrasensitive detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). The established biosensor demonstrated an exceptional linear dynamic range and achieved attomolar-level detection limit. This study highlights the immense potential of TADF emitters in enhancing ECL efficiency and extends the emission wavelength of organic nanomaterials to the NIR region, thereby expanding their applications in biological analysis.

Donor moieties with D-π-a framing modulated electronic and nonlinear optical properties for non-fullerene-based chromophores

Herein, a series of non-fullerene-based substantial chromophores (FHD1-FHD6) with a D-π-A framework was designed from a synthesized non-fullerene compound (FH) via structural tailoring with various donor moieties. The FH and its designed derivatives were optimized with frequency analysis at the M06/6-311G (d,p) level to confirm their true minima on potential energy surfaces. These optimized geometries were utilized to perform further analyses, such as absorption, natural bonding orbital (NBO), frontier molecular orbital (FMO), and nonlinear orbital (NLO) analyses at the aforesaid level. Quantum chemical study revealed that all the designed chromophores exhibited a lower band gap than that of the parent molecule with the exception of FHD3. Furthermore, density of states (DOS) analysis supported the findings from the FMO study, and this agreement revealed that the efficient charge was transferred from the HOMO to the LUMO. The NBO investigations disclosed that all the compounds comprised donor moieties with positive charges and acceptors having negative charges. Interestingly, π-conjugated linkers were also found with positive charges, showing an effective donating property. These NBO findings explicated that FHD1-FHD6 exhibited an efficient push-pull mechanism. The λ _max values of the designed chromophores were observed to be greater than the reference compound. The average polarizability 〈α〉, first hyperpolarizability (β _tot), and second hyperpolarizability 〈γ〉 values of FHD2 were found to be 2.170 × 10^-22, 3.150 × 10^-27, and 4.275 × 10^-32 esu, respectively, while all the other derivatives had been reported in the relevant range. Efficient NLO data revealed that FH-based derivatives may contribute significantly toward NLO technology.

Synthesis, characterization, and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of truxene-cored diphenylamine derivatives

Three star-shaped compounds based on a truxene core (FS11, FS12 and FS13) were prepared. The truxene core is incorporating with asymmetric diphenylamines, including one phenyl of diphenylamine substituted by methoxy group and the other phenyl substituted by tolyl, fluorophenyl and phenylethynyl for FS11, FS12 and FS13, respectively. Their one-photon, two-photon absorption, geometric structures, electrochemical behavior and thermal properties were investigated. The absorption maxima of charge transfer band for FS11, FS12 and FS13 are 375nm, 373nm and 383nm, and the corresponding molar extinction coefficients of FS11, FS12 and FS13 is 79,950M^-1cm^-1, 67,220M^-1cm^-1 and 108,780M^-1cm^-1. The "pull-push" structure promotes charge transfer between asymmetric diphenylamine branches and the truxene core. Their two-photon absorbtion property is measured by two-photon induced fluorescence. The maximum two-photon cross-sections values of FS11, FS12 and FS13 are excited at 750nm, which are 260 GM, 204GM and 367 GM, respectively.

Towards Monodisperse Star-Shaped Ladder-Type Conjugated Systems: Design, Synthesis, Stabilized Blue Electroluminescence, and Amplified Spontaneous Emission

A novel series of monodisperse star-shaped ladder-type oligo(p-phenylene)s, named as TrL-n (n=1-3), have been explored. Their thermal and electrochemical properties, fluorescence transients, photoluminescence quantum yields, density functional theory calculations, electroluminescence (EL) and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) properties have been systematically investigated to unravel the molecular design on optoelectronic properties. The resulting materials showed excellent structural perfection, free of chemical defects, and exhibited great thermal stability (T_d : 404-418 °C and T_g : 147-184 °C) and amorphous glassy morphologies. Compared with their corresponding linear counterparts FL-m (m=1-3), TrL-n showed only little bathochromic shifts (5-12 nm) for the absorption maxima λ_max in both solution and films. The star-shaped ladder-type compounds exhibited enhanced optical stability and suppressed low-energy emission. Their EL spectra exhibited excellent stability with increasing the driving voltage from 6 to 12 V. Moreover, superior low ASE thresholds were recorded for TrL-n compared with FL-m. Rather low ASE threshold (29 nJ per pulse or 1.60 μJ cm^-2 ) was recorded for TrL-3, demonstrating their promising potential as excellent gain media. This study provides a novel design concept to develop monodisperse star-shaped ladder-type materials with excellent structural perfection, which are vital for shedding light on exploring robust organic emitters for optoelectronic applications.

Asymmetric multibranched conjugated molecules: synthesis, structure and photophysical properties

The symmetric multibranched π-conjugated compounds with C3 or C6 configuration have been intensively studied. The reports on asymmetric multibranched compounds are very limited. In this work, we designed and synthesized two asymmetric multibranched π-conjugated molecules using truxene as the central core, diphenylamino and thiophenyl (or thiophenylethynyl) groups as the different branches respectively: 2,7-di(N,N-diphenylamino)-12-(2-thiophenyl)-5,5',10,10',15,15'-hexaethyltruxene and 2,7-di(N,N-diphenylamino)-12-(2-thiophenylethynyl)-5,5',10,10',15,15'-hexaethyltruxene. Their photophysical properties have been explored combining with their theoretical calculation and X-ray single-crystal structure of a key intermediate. Though their different π-conjugation length of branches, the two title compounds exhibit almost same absorption maxima. However, their emission peaks behave a gradual red-shift with the increase of the conjugation length. The theoretical calculation results indicate that the two asymmetric compounds behave a main transition from the HOMO-1 to the LUMO or from the HOMO to the LUMO+1 upon excited.