Bifurcated Polymorphic Transition and Thermochromic Fluorescence of a Molecular Crystal Involving Three-Dimensional Supramolecular Gear Rotation.

The ability of molecules to move and rearrange in the solid state accounts for the polymorphic transition and stimuli-responsive properties of molecular crystals. However, how the crystal structure determines the molecular motion ability remains poorly understood. Here, we report that a three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular gear network in the green-emissive polymorph 1G of a dialkylamino-substituted anthracene-pentiptycene π-system (1) enables an unusual bifurcated polymorphic transition into a yellow-emissive polymorph (1Y) and a new green-emissive polymorph (1G*) via 3D correlated supramolecular rotation. The 90° forward correlated rotation causes the molecular conformation between the octyl and the anthracene units to change from syn to anti, the ladder-like supramolecular columns to constrict, and the gear network to disengage. This cooperative molecular motion is marked by the gradual formation of an intermediate state (1I) across the entire crystal from 170 to 230 °C, which then undergoes bifurcated (forward or backward rotation) and irreversible transitions to form polymorphs 1Y and 1G* at 230-235 °C. Notably, 1G* is similar to 1G but lacks gear engagement, preventing its transformation into 1Y. Nevertheless, 1G can be restored by grinding 1Y or 1G* or fuming with dichloromethane (DCM) vapor. This work illustrates the correlation between the crystal structure and solid-state molecular motion behavior and demonstrates how a 3D molecular gear system efficiently transmits thermal energy to drive the polymorphic transition and induce fluorochromism through significant conformational and packing changes.

An Elastic Organic Crystal Enables Macroscopic Photoinduced Crystal Elongation.

Among the various types of photomechanical deformations of organic crystals, photoinduced elongation of millimeter-scale crystals has yet to be demonstrated. Here we report that the millimeter-sized crystalline rods of an anthracene-pentiptycene hybrid organic π-system (1) are highly elastic and able to elongate up to 21.6% or 0.40 mm without fragmentation upon undergoing [4 + 4] photodimerization reactions. Both the mechanical and photomechanical effects reveal a strong cohesion of the system, even at the interface of 1 and its photodimer 2 and under the conditions of randomized molecular packing, representing a new class of mechanically adaptive organic crystals.

A Rotation-Inversion Dual-Motion Molecular Switch: Race for NMR Signaling.

The interplay between the thermal helical inversion (THI) of the stiff-stilbene moiety and the rotation of the dimethylamino (DMA) group in 1 results in a dependence of the DMA NMR signals on the THI kinetics in (E)-1 but the rotation kinetics in (Z)-1, because the faster motion mode is responsible. Consequently, the photochemical switching from (E)-1 to (Z)-1 illustrates the phenomenon of "switchable motion detection" by the same set of NMR signals in a dual-motion molecular system.

Solvatochromic Fluorescence of a GFP Chromophore-Containing Organogelator in Solutions and Organogels.

Solvatofluorochromism, a solvation effect on the fluorescence color of an organic dye, is a property generally limited to fluid solutions. We demonstrate herein the concept of solid-state solvatofluorochromism by using an organogelator (1-SG), which consists of a solvatofluorochromic green fluorescence protein (GFP) chromophore (1) and a sugar gelator (SG). While 1-SG could be located in the liquid phase or in the fibrous solid matrix of the SG gel, our results show that the one in the solid matrix but near the liquid interface has superior fluorescence stability and quantum efficiency as well as solvatofluorochromicity than the one in the liquid phase. In addition, the phenomenon of fluorescence turn-on occurs when the gel is formed in protic solvents. These features have been applied to perform multicolor fluorescence patterning, chemical vapor sensing, data encryption and decryption, and real-time fluorescence cell imaging.

Porous Supramolecular Assembly of Pentiptycene-Containing Gold(I) Complexes: Persistent Excited-State Aurophilicity and Inclusion-Induced Emission Enhancement.

We report herein a porous supramolecular framework formed by a linear mononuclear Au(I) complex (1) via the tongue-and-groove-like joinery between the pentiptycene U-cavities (grooves) and the rod-shaped π-conjugated backbone and alkyl chains (tongues) with the assistance of C-H···π and aurophilic interactions. The framework contains distorted tetrahedral Au4 units, which undergo stepwise and persistent photoinduced Au(I)-Au(I) bond shortening (excited-state aurophilicity), leading to multicolored luminescence photochromism. The one-dimensional pore channels could accommodate different solvates and guests, and the guest inclusion-induced luminescence enhancement (up to 300%) and/or vapochromism are characterized. A correlation between the aurophilic bonding and the luminescence activity is uncovered by TDDFT calculations. Isostructural derivatives 2 and 3 corroborate both the robustness of the porous supramolecular assembly and the mechanisms of the stimulation-induced luminescence properties of 1. This work demonstrates the cooperation of aurophilicity and structural porosity and adaptability in achieving novel supramolecular photochemical properties.

Hydrogen Bonding-Induced H-Aggregation for Fluorescence Turn-On of the GFP Chromophore: Supramolecular Structural Rigidity.

To turn on the fluorescence of the native green fluorescence protein (GFP) chromophore, 4-hydroxybenzylidene-dimethylimidazolinone (HBDI), in an artificial supramolecular system has been a challenging task, because it requires high local environmental rigidity. This work shows that the formation of H-aggregates of an HBDI-containing organogelator results in two orders of magnitude fluorescence enhancement (Φf =2.9 vs. 0.02 %), in which the inter-HBDI OH⋅⋅⋅OH H-bonds play a crucial role. The aggregation-induced fluorescence enhancement of HBDI has important implications on the origin of the high fluorescence quantum efficiency of HBDI in the GFP ß-barrel and on the supramolecular strategy for a full fluorescence recovery of HBDI. These results reveal a new approach to designing rigid chromophore aggregates for high-performance optoelectronic properties.

Alkyl Chain Length- and Polymorph-Dependent Photomechanochromic Fluorescence of Anthracene Photodimerization in Molecular Crystals: Role of the Lattice Stiffness.

Anthracene-pentiptycene hybrid systems 1-Cn, where n refers to the number of carbon atoms in the linear alkyl chain, crystallize in three different polymorphs, denoted Y (yellow), G (green), and B (blue) forms in terms of the fluorescence color. While all Y-form crystals show the same yellow-to-blue fluorescence color response to the photomechanical stress generated by the anthracene [4+4] photodimerization reaction, the four G forms exhibit distinct photomechanofluorochromism (PMFC): from green to blue for G-1-C4, to orange for G-1-C7, to red for G-1-C8, and to red then blue for G-1-C9, and the B forms show no photochromic activity. The intriguing RGB three-color PMFC and abnormal topochemical reactivity of G-1-C9 are attributed to inherent softness of the crystal lattice.

Steric Engineering of Cyclometalated Pt(II) Complexes toward High-Contrast Monomer-Excimer-Based Mechanochromic and Vapochromic Luminescence.

Ligands play a crucial role in the supramolecular photoluminescence properties of Pt(II) square-planar complexes. To improve the luminescence color responses of N∧C∧N cyclometalated Pt(II) complexes to external stimuli such as mechanical stress and chemical vapors, we have conducted a steric engineering of the previous systems 1a-1d [Inorg. Chem. 2017, 56, 4978-4989] by introducing two tert-butyl groups to the tridentate ligand to form complexes 2a-2c. Unlike the "too low" or "too high" steric hindrance of the NCNPt core in 1a-1d, the combined steric effects of the tert-butyl groups at one side and the pentiptycene group at the other side of the NCNPt core in 2b are "just right" for generating as-prepared powders with pure monomer (green) emission or pure excimer (red) emission, depending on the rate of precipitation from solutions. The synergistic steric effects are also beneficial to the solid-state luminescence quantum efficiency (30-36%). As a result of the differences in steric interactions and thus in the relative monomer vs excimer emission intensity, each complex of 2a-2c performs a two-step luminescence mechanochromism and vapochromism with different color patterns. This work provides an intriguing example of steric engineering of Pt(II) complexes toward highly emissive molecular solids with high-contrast mechanochromic and vapochromic luminescence.

Electrochromic Response Capability Enhancement with Pentiptycene-Incorporated Intrinsic Porous Polyamide Films.

Enhancing switching response capability of electrochromic (EC) polymers has been a topical issue. Herein, the H-shaped nonplanar pentiptycene scaffold is successfully introduced into the polyamide film derived from N,N'-bis(4-aminophenyl)-N,N'-di(methoxyphenyl)-1,4-phenylenediamine (TPPA), and the resulting copolymer shows enhanced EC behaviors, including lower oxidation potential and shorter switching response time, as compared to the corresponding TPPA-derived homopolymer.

Redox-Gated Tristable Molecular Brakes of Geared Rotation.

p-Bis(arylcarbonyl)pentiptycenes 2 (aryl = 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) and 3 (aryl = mesityl) have been prepared and investigated as redox-gated molecular rotors. For 2, rotations about the pentiptycene-carbonyl bond (the α rotation) and about the aryl-carbonyl bond (the ß rotation) are independent, and the rotation barriers are 11.3 and 9.5 kcal mol-1, respectively, at 298 K. In contrast, the α and ß rotations in 3 are correlated (geared) in a 2-fold cogwheel pathway between the aryl and the pentiptycene groups with a much lower rotation barrier of 6.5 kcal mol-1 at 298 K in spite of the bulkier aryl groups. Electrochemical reduction of the neutral forms led first to radical anions (2•- and 3•-) and then to a bis(radical anion) for 22- but a dianion for 32-. The redox operations switch the independent α and ß rotations in 2 into a geared rotation in both 2•- and 22- and result in a slow-fast-stop rotation mode for 2-2•--22-. The two redox states 3•- and 32- retain the geared α and ß rotations and follow a fast-slow-stop mode for 3-3•--32-. Both molecular systems mimic tristable molecular brakes and display 8-9 orders of magnitude difference in rotation rate through the redox switching.

Fluorescence Enhancement of Unconstrained GFP Chromophore Analogues Based on the Push-Pull Substituent Effect.

Unlike the high fluorescence quantum yield of the naturally occurring green fluorescence protein (GFP, Φf ∼ 0.8), the GFP chromophore, a benzylidenedimethylimidazolinone (BDI) dye, is nearly nonfluorescent (Φf < 0.001) in common solutions at room temperature. While many efforts have been devoted into the BDI chromophore engineering for fluorescence recovery, limited success has been achieved for structurally unconstrained GFP chromophore analogues (uGFPc). Herein we report a rational design of uGFPc toward an unprecedentedly high fluorescence quantum efficiency of 0.60 in hexane. This is achieved by a combined ortho-CN and meta-dimethylamino substituent electronic effect that largely suppresses the Z → E photoisomerization (the τ torsion) reaction, which is the major nonradiative decay channel of uGFPc. The structural design relied on the assumptions that the τ torsion of the meta-amino-substituted BDI systems leads to a zwitterionic twisted intermediate state (1p*) and that destabilizing the 1p* state by an electron-withdrawing CN substituent at the ortho or para position could slow down the τ torsion. The observed CN position effect conforms to the design concept. The push-pull substitution of BDI also leads to sensitive fluorescence-quenching responses to electron donors such as trimethylamine and to H-bond donors such as methanol.

Excimer-Monomer Photoluminescence Mechanochromism and Vapochromism of Pentiptycene-Containing Cyclometalated Platinum(II) Complexes.

The ability of the bulky H-shaped pentiptycene scaffold in promoting the mechanochromic and vapochromic luminescence properties for organometallic materials has been demonstrated with the N^C^N cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes [X-NCNPtY], where X = Br or Pa, the substituent on the terdentate dipyridylbenzene N^C^N ligand, and Y = Cl or Pa, the ancillary ligand, in which Pa = pentiptycene acetylene. Intermolecular interactions between the planar NCNPt cores are described by π-π and d-π interactions with negligible PtII···PtII bonding, corresponding to ligand-centered excimer rather than metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer emission, for these platinum(II) complexes in aggregates and in the solid state. Interplay of the relative excimer-to-monomer emission intensity in response to external force and/or vapor stimuli accounts for the luminescence mechanochromism and vapochromism of the pentiptycene-incorporated platinum(II) complexes [Pa-NCNPtCl], [Br-NCNPtPa], and [Pa-NCNPtPa], whereas the pentiptycene-free counterpart [Br-NCNPtCl] undergoes little or no emission color response. In particular, the complex [Pa-NCNPtCl] displays a distinct response to aromatic versus nonaromatic organic vapors: namely, aromatic vapors such as benzene convert the excimer emission to monomer emission, but the opposite is true with nonaromatic vapors. A two-stage emission color change from red to orange and then to yellow could thus be achieved by grinding and by subsequent benzene-vapor fuming. Another feature associated with [Pa-NCNPtCl] is an aggregation-induced green → magenta luminescence color change in water/tetrahydrofuran mixed solutions. The structure-luminescence property relationship is discussed in relation to intermolecular interactions and packing modes that depend on the number and positions of pentiptycene groups.

Synthesis, Optical Properties, and Electronic Structures of Tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)tetrathiaisophlorin Dioxide.

The synthesis, structure, optical and redox properties, and electronic structure of tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)tetrathiaisophlorin dioxide (12) are reported. Oxidation of tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)tetrathiaisophlorin (11) with dimethyldioxirane afforded the oxidized product, which was the tetrathiaisophlorin with two thiophene 1-oxide moieties (12). More significant nonplanarity and greater bond length alternation in 12 than those of 11 were observed by X-ray structural analysis. The absorption spectrum of 12 contains two bands at λ=348 and 276 nm, with a weak tail that extends to λ≈650 nm. Analysis of the magnetic circular dichroism spectrum of 12, based on Michl's 4N-perimeter model and molecular orbital calculations, indicate that the broad band at λ=348 nm appears to contain N2 and P2 bands, and 12 is classified as a 4nπ system, similar to 11. The nuclear-independent chemical shift values and (1) H NMR spectroscopy data indicate that 12 has more antiaromatic character than 11.

Charge-transfer and isomerization reactions of trans-4-(N-arylamino)stilbenes.

We studied the excited-state dynamics of trans-4-(N-arylamino)stilbenes with aryl = phenyl (p1H), 4-methoxyphenyl (p1OM), or 4-cyanophenyl (p1CN) in solvents of varied polarity and viscosity by using femtosecond transient absorption and time-correlated single photon counting techniques. In nonpolar solvents the decay is triexponential, in which the rapid component corresponds to vibrational cooling combined with solvation, the intermediate temporal component 41-120 ps to trans-cis isomerization, and the long one ∼1 ns to fluorescence decay of the S1 state. The S1 state has a delocalized geometry and charge-transfer characteristics, corresponding to a planar intramolecular charge transfer (PICT) state. In polar solvents, an excited-state absorption band appears near 520 and 480 nm for p1OM and p1CN, respectively but not for p1H. This band has a rise lifetime of 4.3/7.5, 16.3/9.4, and 29.5/16 ps for p1CN/p1OM in acetonitrile (ACN), dimethylformamide (DMF), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), respectively and matches the decay of the 600 nm PICT band. This band is thus assigned to the absorption of a singlet twisted intramolecular charge transfer state (TICT). The conversion rate decreases as the solvent viscosity is increased and is consistent with a large structural variation amplitude. Theoretical calculations using density functional theory (DFT), method PEB0, were employed to obtain the optimized structures and energies of those states. The PICT state possesses delocalized π electrons along the molecule. The TICT for p1CN is formed by twisting about the aminostilbene-benzonitrile C-N bond by ∼90°, but it is about the stilbene-aniline C-N bond for p1OM. We observed faster conversion rates for p1CN in alcoholic solvents, in which the lifetimes for both the PICT and TICT states are shortened to 20-99 ps and 120-660 ps, respectively, as a result of solvent-solute H-bonding interactions. In p1OM, the TICT state has an elongated C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond in the stilbene moiety, which might facilitate the trans-cis isomerization reaction and thus account for the relatively short lifetime of 58-420 ps in polar solvents.

Cooperativity and Site-Selectivity of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds on the Fluorescence Quenching of Modified GFP Chromophores.

This paper provides the first example of experimentally characterized hydrogen-bond cooperativity on fluorescence quenching with a modified green fluorescence protein (GFP) chromophore that contains a 6-membered C═N···H-O and a 7-membered C═O···H-O intramolecular H-bonds. Variable-temperature (1)H NMR and electronic absorption and emission spectroscopies were used to elucidate the preference of intra- vs intermolecular H-bonding at different concentrations (1 mM and 10 µM), and X-ray crystal structures provide clues of possible intermolecular H-bonding modes. In the ground state, the 6-membered H-bond is significant but the 7-membered one is rather weak. However, fluorescence quenching is dominated by the 7-membered H-bond, indicating a strengthening of the H-bond in the excited state. The H-bonding effect is more pronounced in more polar solvents, and no intermediates were observed from femtosecond fluorescence decays. The fluorescence quenching is attributed to the occurrence of diabatic excited-state proton transfer. Cooperativity of the two intramolecular H-bonds on spectral shifts and fluorescence quenching is evidenced by comparing with both the single H-bonded and the non-H-bonded counterparts. The H-bond cooperativity does not belong to the conventional patterns of σ- and π-cooperativity but a new type of polarization interactions, which demonstrates the significant interplay of H-bonds for multiple H-bonding systems in the electronically excited states.

Multicolor Fluorescence Writing Based on Host-Guest Interactions and Force-Induced Fluorescence-Color Memory.

A new strategy is reported for multicolor fluorescence writing on thin solid films with mechanical forces. This concept is illustrated by the use of a green-fluorescent pentiptycene derivative 1, which forms variably colored fluorescent exciplexes: a change from yellow to red was observed with anilines, and fluorescence quenching (a change to black) occurred in the presence of benzoquinone. Mechanical forces, such as grinding and shearing, induced a crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition in both the pristine and guest-adsorbed solids that led to a change in the fluorescence color (mechanofluorochromism) and a memory of the resulting color. Fluorescence drawings of five or more colors were created on glass or paper and could be readily erased by exposure to air and dichloromethane fumes. The structural and mechanistic aspects of the observations are also discussed.

Conformational control of oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s with intrinsic substituent electronic effects: origin of the twist in pentiptycene-containing systems.

Dependence of the backbone planarity of oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) on the intrinsic electronic character of substituents and on the nature of the solvent has been experimentally demonstrated with a series of center-symmetrical five-ring systems, pentiptycene-pentiptycene-arene-pentiptycene-pentiptycene, differing in the substituents on the central arene. In frozen 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF), the adjacent pentiptycene units prefer to be in a mutually twisted orientation when the substituents are electron-withdrawing (F and amido), resulting in a TPPT or TTTT conformation, whereas a planarized PPPP backbone is favored in the case of electron-donating substituents (alkyl and alkoxy). The propensity to adopt the PPPP form is generally enhanced by replacing MTHF with either methylcyclohexane or mixed ethanol/methanol as solvent. These observations reveal that the twist between adjacent pentiptycene units in OPEs is a consequence of the electronic rather than steric effects of iptycenyl substituents. The electronic effect of iptycenyl substituents is manifested in decreased phenylene π polarizability as the net effect of both electron-donating hyperconjugation and an electron-withdrawing inductive effect. Variable-temperature electronic absorption and emission spectroscopies are the critical tools for this work. Our findings provide important guidelines for conformational and electronic engineering of OPEs and for the design of novel iptycene-based organic electronic materials.

A light-gated molecular brake with antilock and fluorescence turn-on alarm functions: application of singlet-state adiabatic cis → trans photoisomerization.

A light-gated molecular brake that displays both high braking power (∼10(7)) and high switching power (∼74%) is reported. The lower rate for brake-on than for brake-off switching of the pentiptycene rotor mimics the function of an antilock braking system (ABS) for vehicles on a loose surface. The brake is also armed with a fluorescence turn-on alarm for accidental deactivation of the ABS function by acids. All of these features are associated with the highly efficient singlet-state adiabatic cis → trans photoisomerization of the phenylstilbene chromophore.

Effects of iptycene scaffolds on the photoluminescence of N,N-dimethylaminobenzonitrile and its analogues.

To understand the effect of iptycene scaffolds on the locally excited (LE) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) fluorescence of aminobenzonitriles, a series of triptycene and pentiptycene derivatives were synthesized and their molecular structures and photophysical properties were characterized and compared with the parent phenylene systems, 4-(N-methylamino)benzonitrile (MABN), 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN), and 4-(N-phenylamino)benzonitrile (PABN). The iptycene effect does not change the nature of the fluorescing states for each amino donor system, i.e., the MA, PA, and DMA series display LE-only, ICT-only, and LE-ICT dual fluorescences, respectively. However, the iptycene scaffolds impose a significant modification of the absorption and emission spectra, fluorescence quantum efficiency and lifetimes, and the interplay of LE and ICT states. The observed iptycene effect has been discussed with three factors: (1) steric effect on increasing the amino twist angle, (2) steric shielding of solvation to the aminobenzonitrile core, and (3) hyperconjugation interactions of the aminobenzonitrile core with the peripheral phenylene groups of iptycene.

Unichromophoric platinum-acetylides that contain pentiptycene scaffolds: torsion-induced dual emission and steric shielding of dynamic quenching.

The effect of the rigid bulky pentiptycene scaffolds on the photoluminescence, redox properties, and oxygen sensing behavior of unichromophoric Pt-acetylides is reported. When the pentiptycene groups are near the Pt(PBu3)2 center, the Pt-acetylides display both blue fluorescence and green phosphorescence with long phosphorescence lifetimes (90-202 µs) in THF. Their phosphorescence intensity is highly sensitive to molecular oxygen, and the emission color depends on the concentration of not only oxygen but also the complexes, which allows a feasible determination of oxygen in the range of 1-5% air volume. The dynamic quenching rate constants decrease linearly with increasing the number of pentiptycene groups, revealing the steric shielding effect of the peripheral rings of pentiptycene. A dependence of oxidation potential on the number of pentiptycene groups also revealed the steric shielding effect on the electron transfer between the complexes and the electrode. In a PMMA matrix, the dual emissive properties are diminished due to increased phosphorescence and decreased fluorescence intensity, and the phosphorescence lifetimes are significantly increased (up to ∼700 µs), leading to an "on-off" optical response to oxygen concentration. Both the dual emissive properties and long-lived triplet excitons are attributed to diminished spin-orbit couplings caused by twisting and steric shielding of the π-conjugated backbone around the Pt center.