Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
Published on: November 30, 2012
Conformation-Driven Circularly Polarized Luminescence Sign Inversion in Chiral Bispyrene Based Cocrystals with
Ke Wang1, Shizhe Ren2,3, Xinwen Ou4
1Center of Excellence for Environmental Safety and Biological Effects, Beijing Key Laboratory for Green Catalysis and Separation, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.
This study introduces a novel cocrystal engineering method for dynamic control of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and multicolor emission. The approach enables conformation-driven CPL inversion and switchable optical properties for photonic applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Photonic Materials
- Supramolecular Chemistry
Background:
- Dynamic control over circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and emission wavelength is challenging for photonic applications.
- Existing methods for CPL inversion often rely on complex synthesis or specific crystal orientations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a supramolecular cocrystal engineering strategy for conformation-driven CPL inversion and multicolor emission.
- To achieve dynamic control over chiroptical properties in crystalline materials.
Main Methods:
- Supramolecular cocrystal formation using a pyrene-based host and various guests (OFN, TCNB, TFP).
- Single-crystal X-ray diffraction to analyze crystal structures and guest-host interactions.
- Spectroscopic analysis to determine emission wavelengths and CPL properties.
- Investigation of vapor-induced crystal transformations for switchable CPL.
Main Results:
- Cocrystals exhibited tunable emission from 441 nm to 591 nm via arene-perfluoroarene and charge-transfer interactions.
- Guest insertion (OFN, TCNB) induced an "open" conformation leading to negative CPL, while no insertion (TFP) maintained a "closed" conformation with positive CPL.
- Reversible vapor-induced polymorphism enabled switchable CPL.
- Microcrystals demonstrated low-loss optical waveguide properties.
Conclusions:
- Supramolecular cocrystal engineering offers a robust strategy for designing multifunctional chiroptical materials.
- Conformation regulation within cocrystals allows for controllable CPL sign and multicolor emission.
- These materials show potential for integrated photonic circuits and sensing applications.
Related Concept Videos
Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity
Prochirality
Stereoisomerism of Cyclic Compounds
Stereoisomerism
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...
Chirality in Nature
Chirality
Chiral objects exhibit a sense of handedness when they interact with another chiral object. For example, our left foot can only fit in the left shoe and not in the right shoe. Achiral objects — objects that have...

