Domino-like multi-emissions across red and near infrared from solid-state 2-/2,6-aryl substituted BODIPY dyes

• Published in: Nature communications 2018-07, Vol.9 (1), p.2688-9, Article 2688
• Main Authors: Tian, Dan, Qi, Fen, Ma, Huili, Wang, Xiaoqing, Pan, Yue, Chen, Runfeng, Shen, Zhen, Liu, Zhipeng, Huang, Ling, Huang, Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 119/118; 140/125; 140/131; 639/638/298/398; 639/638/440/527/1819; Agglomeration; Aromatic compounds; Boron; Dyes; Emission analysis; Emissions; Energy levels; Energy transfer; Excitation; Fluorescence; Humanities and Social Sciences; Molecular chains; multidisciplinary; Organic chemistry; Quantum chemistry; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Substitutes; Temperature dependence; Time dependence; Wavelengths; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05040-8

Considerable achievements on multiple emission capabilities and tunable wavelengths have been obtained in inorganic luminescent materials. However, the development of organic counterparts remains a grand challenge. Herein we report a series of 2-/2,6-aryl substituted boron-dipyrromethene dyes with wide-range and multi-fluorescence emissions across red and near infrared in their aggregation states. Experimental data of X-ray diffraction, UV–vis absorption, and room temperature fluorescence spectra have proved the multiple excitation and easy-adjustable emission features in aggregated boron-dipyrromethene dyes. Temperature-dependent and time-resolved fluorescence studies have indicated a successive energy transfer from high to step-wisely lower-located energy levels that correspond to different excitation states of aggregates. Consistent quantum chemical calculation results have proposed possible aggregation modes of boron-dipyrromethene dyes to further support the above-described scenario. Thus, this study greatly enriches the fundamental recognition of conventional boron-dipyrromethene dyes by illustrating the relationships between multiple emission behaviors and the aggregation states of boron-dipyrromethene molecules. The class of BODIPY dyes has high solubility and high quantum yields and is widely used in imaging applications. Here Tian et al. synthesize new dye molecules and demonstrate extended emission properties and application scope controllable both by the excitation wavelength and aggregation states.