Dynamic Luminescence Vapochromism of Pyridinium-Based Organic Salts

Organic vapochromic materials which undergo a drastic change in their photophysical properties upon exposure to vapors or gases are attracting growing scientific attention because of their low price and wide range of possible applications. In this work, luminescence vapochromism of carbazole-pyridinium-based organic salts with a general structure of (CzPy)X (CzPy+=2,3-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)pyridinium ion; X=Cl, Br or I) is reported. It was found that (CzPy)X compounds form J-aggregates, which rearranged back to monomeric form upon exposure to methanol, ethanol, acetone, and water vapors. In contrast, acetonitrile was found to promote the J-aggregation in (CzPy)X compounds by occupying the voids in their crystal lattice and pushing cations closer together. It was further demonstrated that the efficiency of J-aggregation in (CzPy)X compounds depends on the size of the anion, which was employed to realize dynamic luminescence vapochromism, with vapochromic response times ranging from a couple of minutes in (CzPy)Cl to more than an hour in (CzPy)I. In addition, (CzPy)X compounds exhibited high melting points of about 250 °C and excellent thermal stability. (CzPy)Cl and (CzPy)Br have also shown good photoluminescence quantum yields at room temperature in a solid state.

Proton-electron-coupled functionalities of conductivity, magnetism, and optical properties in molecular crystals

Proton-electron-coupled reactions, specifically proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), in biological and chemical processes have been extensively investigated for use in a wide variety of applications, including energy conversion and storage. However, the exploration of the functionalities of the conductivity, magnetism, and dielectrics by proton-electron coupling in molecular materials is challenging. Dynamic and static proton-electron-coupled functionalities are to be expected. This feature article highlights the recent progress in the development of functionalities of dynamic proton-electron coupling in molecular materials. Herein, single-unit conductivity by self-doping, quantum spin liquid state coupled with quantum fluctuation of protons, switching of conductivity and magnetism triggered by the disorder-order transition of deuterons, and their external responses under pressure and in the presence of an electric field are introduced. In addition, as for the functionalities of proton-d/π-electron coupling in metal dithiolene complexes, magnetic switching with multiple PCET and vapochromism induced by electron transfer through hydrogen-bond (H-bond) formation is introduced experimentally and theoretically. We also outlined the basic and applied issues and potential challenges for development of proton-electron-coupled molecular materials, functionalities, and devices.

Reversible on/off conformational switching of pentafluorobenzoyl amide triggered by acid vapor and sublimation

Molecular switches composed of pentafluorobenzoyl amide can be controlled with an acid and sublimation in an on/off manner in the solid state.

Hydrogen bonding from crystalline water mediates the hydration/dehydration of mequitazine glycolate

Comparison of crystal structures, dynamic vapor adsorption measurements, lattice energy calculations and structural optimization of the dehydration model were used to evaluate the hydration-dehydration behavior.

Vapochromic crystals: understanding vapochromism from the perspective of crystal engineering

Vapochromic materials, which undergo colour and/or emission changes upon exposure to certain vapours or gases, have received increasing attention recently because of their wide range of applications in, e.g., chemical sensors, light-emitting diodes, and environmental monitors. Vapochromic crystals, as a specific kind of vapochromic materials, can be investigated from the perspective of crystal engineering to understand the mechanism of vapochromism. Moreover, understanding the vapochromism mechanism will be beneficial to design and prepare task-specific vapochromic crystals as one kind of low-cost 'electronic nose' to detect toxic gases or volatile organic compounds. This review provides important information in a broad scientific context to develop new vapochromic materials, which covers organometallic or coordination complexes and organic crystals, as well as the different mechanisms of the related vapochromic behaviour. In addition, recent examples of supramolecular vapochromic crystals and metal-organic-framework (MOFs) vapochromic crystals are introduced.

Pyridinium 5-aminothiazoles: specific photophysical properties and vapochromism in halogenated solvents

Pyridinium-5-aminothiazoles exhibited bathochromically shifted absorption and fluorescence spectra, solvatochromism, and a reversible vapochromism specific to halogenated solvents.