Environment-sensitive emission of anionic hydrogen-bonded urea-derivative–acetate-ion complexes and their aggregation-induced emission enhancement

Anions often quench fluorescence (FL). However, strong ionic hydrogen bonding between fluorescent dyes and anion molecules has the potential to control the electronic state of FL dyes, creating new functions via non-covalent interactions. Here, we propose an approach, utilising ionic hydrogen bondin...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications chemistry 2021-12, Vol.4 (1), p.168-168, Article 168
Main Authors: Takahashi, Masaki, Ito, Nozomu, Haruta, Naoki, Ninagawa, Hayato, Yazaki, Kohei, Sei, Yoshihisa, Sato, Tohru, Obata, Makoto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
639/638/439
639/638/541
Agglomeration
Anions
Bonding strength
Chemical bonds
Chemical compounds
Chemistry
Chemistry and Materials Science
Chemistry/Food Science
Electron states
Fluorescence
Fluorescent dyes
Hydrogen
Hydrogen bonding
Hydrogen bonds
Ion pairs
Solid state
Ureas
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Anions often quench fluorescence (FL). However, strong ionic hydrogen bonding between fluorescent dyes and anion molecules has the potential to control the electronic state of FL dyes, creating new functions via non-covalent interactions. Here, we propose an approach, utilising ionic hydrogen bonding between urea groups and anions, to control the electronic states of fluorophores and develop an aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) system. The AIEE ionic hydrogen-bonded complex (IHBC) formed between 1,8-diphenylnaphthalene ( p -2Urea), with aryl urea groups at the para-positions on the peri-phenyl rings, and acetate ions exhibits high environmental sensitivities in solution phases, and the FL quantum yield (QY) in ion-pair assemblies of the IHBC and tetrabutylammonium cations is more than five times higher than that of the IHBC in solution. Our versatile and simple approach for the design of AIEE dye facilitates the future development of environment-sensitive probes and solid-state emitting materials. Anions in fluorophore solutions commonly act as fluorescence quenchers. Here, the formation of hydrogen bonds between acetate anions and urea-derived fluorophores leads to aggregation-induced emission enhancement in the solid state.
ISSN:2399-3669
2399-3669
DOI:10.1038/s42004-021-00601-3