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Fine‐Tuning Dual Emission and Aggregation‐Induced Emission Switching in NPI–BODIPY Dyads
Author(s) -
Mukherjee Sanjoy,
Thilagar Pakkirisamy
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201305049
Subject(s) - bodipy , fluorophore , stacking , intermolecular force , fluorescence , aggregation induced emission , chemistry , photochemistry , emission intensity , quenching (fluorescence) , molecule , organic chemistry , optics , ion , physics
Three new NPI–BODIPY dyads 1 – 3 (NPI=1,8‐naphthalimide, BODIPY=boron‐dipyrromethene) were synthesized, characterized, and studied. The NPI and BODIPY moieties in these dyads are electronically separated by oxoaryl bridges, and the compounds only differ structurally with respect to methyl substituents on the BODIPY fluorophore. The NPI and BODIPY moieties retain their optical features in molecular dyads 1 – 3 . Dyads 1–3 show dual emission in solution originating from the two separate fluorescent units. The variations of the dual emission in these compounds are controlled by the structural flexibilities of the systems. Dyads 1 – 3 , depending on their molecular flexibilities, show considerably different spectral shapes and dissimilar intensity ratios of the two emission bands. The dyads also show significant aggregation‐induced emission switching (AIES) on formation of nano‐aggregates in THF/H 2 O with changes in emission color from green to red. Whereas the flexible and aggregation‐prone compound 1 shows AIES, rigid systems with less favorable intermolecular interactions (i.e., 2 and 3 ) show aggregation‐induced quenching of emission. Correlations of the emission intensity and structural flexibility were found to be reversed in solution and aggregated states. Photophysical and structural investigations suggested that intermolecular interactions (e.g., π–π stacking) play a major role in controlling the emission of these compounds in the aggregated state.