Simultaneously enhancing aggregation-induced emission and boosting two-photon absorption of perylene diimides through regioisomerization

The integration of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and two-photon absorption (2PA) into one molecule is very important because such a combination would endow the material with a synergetic effect for diverse and broader applications. Herein, two regioisomers based on perylene diimide and anthracene moieties are designed and synthesized. The as-prepared compounds exhibit distinct AIE and 2PA properties, where the bay-substituted one exhibits common AIE and 2PA properties, while the ortho-substituted one exhibits not only enhanced and accelerated AIE performance, but also improved 2PA properties. This research would provide a general approach to explore efficient molecules by the marriage of accelerated AIE and enhanced 2PA that could improve their performance in various areas.

Automated summary

This study designed and synthesized two compounds with different aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and two-photon absorption (2PA) properties. The compound with ortho-substituted showed enhanced and accelerated AIE performance and improved 2PA properties. By combining accelerated AIE and enhanced 2PA, the performance of the molecules in various fields was improved.