A series of 4,5,9,10-tetrahydropyrene-based tetraarylethenes: synthesis, structures and solid-state emission behavior

By controlling the number of 4,5,9,10-tetrahydropyrene segments around the tetraarylethene core, a series of 4,5,9,10-tetrahydropyrene-based tetraarylethenes were synthesized and structurally characterized. An aggregation-induced emission (AIE) study indicated that all the compounds are AIE active: they are weak emitters in good solvents but highly emissive in the condensed phase, and hence are potential solid-state emitters. Their optical properties, electrochemical properties and theoretical calculations were investigated, and the results prove that the π-conjugation degree of these compounds increases with the increasing number of 4,5,9,10-tetrahydropyrene units. However, the fluorescence quantum yield in the solid state doesn't increase with increasing π-conjugation. We studied the reason for this by analyzing the crystal structures of some compounds, and proposed that the close degree of molecular packing in the solid state may be responsible for it. Loose packing of tetraarylethenes in the solid state can restrict the rotation of the aromatic rings but cannot constrain other non-radiative pathways efficiently, such as vibration, which leads to the unpredictable emission of the compounds.