Stimuli-Responsive Properties of Aggregation-Induced-Emission Compounds Containing a 9,10-Distyrylanthracene Moiety.

Two 9,10-distyrylanthracene-based luminophores exhibiting aggregation-induced emission and stimuli-responsive properties were synthesized. Seven- or five-color luminescence switching based on a single organic molecule was achieved for the first time. These phase transitions can be induced by physical stimuli such as grinding by mortar and pestle, heating, and exposure to the vapors of organic solvents. Moreover, a strategy for the design of new mechanoresponsive materials with π-conjugated luminophores is proposed.