Luminescent aggregates of a starburst silole-triphenylamine adduct for sensitive explosive detection

A starburst luminogen (THPSTPA) consisting of a triphenylamine core and 1,1,2,3,4,5-hexaphenylsilole peripheries is designed and synthesized. Whereas it is weakly luminescent when molecularly dissolved in good solvent, it becomes highly emissive when aggregated in poor solvent, exhibiting a novel phenomenon of aggregation-induced emission (AIE). THPSTPA is morphologically and thermally stable, showing high glass transition and thermal degradation temperatures at 150 and 303 degrees C, respectively. The emission of its aggregates can be quenched exponentially by picric acid with a quenching constant up to similar to 7.0 x 10(4) L mol(-1), suggesting that it can work as a sensitive chemosensor for explosive detection. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.