Efficient Light Emitters in the Solid State: Synthesis, Aggregation-Induced Emission, Electroluminescence, and Sensory Properties of Luminogens with Benzene Cores and Multiple Triarylvinyl Peripherals

Benzene-cored luminogens with multiple triarylvinyl units are designed and synthesized. These propeller-shaped molecules are nonemissive when dissolved in good solvents, but become highly emissive when aggregated in poor solvents or in the solid state, showing the novel phenomenon of aggregation-induced emission. Restriction of intramolecular motion is identified as the main cause for this effect. Thanks to their high solid-state fluorescence quantum yields (up to unity) and high thermal and morphological stabilities, light-emitting diodes with the luminogens as emitters give sky-blue to greenish-blue light in high luminance and efficiencies of 10800 cd m-2, 5.8 cd A-1, and 2.7%, respectively. The emissions of the nanoaggregates of the luminogens can be quenched exponentially by picric acid, or selectively by Ru3+, with quenching constants up to 105 and similar to 2.0 x 105 L mol-1, respectively, making them highly sensitive (and selective) chemosensors for explosives and metal ions.