Carbazole-based aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active gold(I) complex: Persistent room-temperature phosphorescence, reversible mechanochromism and vapochromism characteristics

A carbazole-based gold(I) complex 1 has been successfully synthesized. Its structure was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, elemental analysis and single crystal X-ray diffractometry. Its aggregation-induced emission behavior was studied by ultraviolet/visible, photoluminescence spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. Its solid-state mechanochromic and thin-film vapochromic luminescence behaviors were also investigated by photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that luminogen 1 showed obvious aggregation-induced emission property. Furthermore, 1 also exhibited reversible high-contrast mechanochromic and vapochromic luminescence behaviors. More interestingly, 1 can emit persistent room-temperature phosphorescence with a solid-state emission lifetime up to 86.84 ms, which is the highest lifetime value among all the reported gold(I) complexes so far. To the best of our knowledge, the gold(I) complex is the first example of an AIE-active luminogen with persistent room-temperature phosphorescence, reversible mechanochromism and vapochromism characteristics. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.