A Strongly Fluorescent Molecular Material Responsive to Physical/Chemical Stimuli and their Coupled Impact

Pagidi Sudhakar, T. P. Radhakrishnan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Molecular materials with weak but extended and pliable supramolecular interactions are versatile candidates for eliciting stimuli-sensitive optical responses. A novel diaminodicyanoquinodimethane (DADQ) molecule, 7,7-bis(2-(2-pyridyl)ethylamino)-8,8-dicyanoquinodimethane (BPEDQ), has been synthesized and structurally characterized; it exhibits enhanced fluorescence emission in the aggregated and solid states, characteristic of DADQs. The pyridine moieties in the molecule, in addition to the amino and cyano groups of the strongly dipolar fluorophore moiety, induce extensive H-bonding interactions which can impart structural integrity to the solid material; this enables reversible crystalline-amorphous transformations triggered by mechanical grinding and solvent fuming. The concomitant fluorescence color and intensity switching are prominent and reversible. Protonation-deprotonation events induced by acidic and basic vapors also produce stark fluorescence response variations; the chemical stimuli also lead to amorphization of the solid. The full cycle of chemical and physical stimuli, and the consequence of their individual and coupled impact on the fluorescence emission, are illustrated using a BPEDQ-doped polymer thin film.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4754-4759
Number of pages6
JournalChemistry - An Asian Journal
Volume14
Issue number24
DOIs
StatePublished - 13 Dec 2019
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Funding

Financial support from the DST, New Delhi (J. C. Bose Fellowship) and infrastructure support from the DST (PURSE and FIST programs), the UGC, New Delhi (CAS and UPE programs) and the School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad are acknowledged with gratitude. PS thanks the SERB, DST, for a National Post-doctoral Fellowship.

FundersFunder number
Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
University Grants Committee
Science and Engineering Research Board

    Keywords

    • amorphous-crystalline transformation
    • fluorescence
    • molecular crystal
    • protonation
    • stimuli-responsive

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