Heterocyclic pyrene pyrazoline moieties containing similar structures but with differences in thiophene (PPT), furan (PPF) and pyridine (PPP) substitutions at the terminal molecules were synthesized. Their aggregation behaviour in THF-water mixtures was investigated and results demonstrated that PPT and PPP exhibited aggregationinduced emission (AIE), whereas PPF exhibited aggregation-induced blue-shifted emission (AIBSE). PPT and PPP provided red-shifted emission, while PPF had observed blue-shifted emission at high water fractions of 70-90%, confirming that aggregation effects played a major role in the molecular structure. Two emission peaks from locally excited and twisted intramolecular charge transfer confirmed the twisted nature from the dihedral angle values of the free reorganized molecules that were completely restricted in high water fractions due to molecular aggregation. This was further confirmed from colour Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage values as well as dynamic light scattering analysis. Third-order nonlinear optical properties were studied using a Nd:Yag laser beam Z-scan technique at 532 nm. The open aperture Z-scan revealed that PPT and PPF towards the peak point endured strong saturable absorption, whereas PPP indicated a strong reverse saturable absorption process. The AIE and AIBSE mechanisms from undergoing restricted twisting intramolecular motion in the aggregated luminogens provide great insight into new developments in AIEgen materials for these optoelectronic materials.
K E Y W O R D Saggregation-induced blue-shifted emission, aggregation-induced emission, arylpyrazolines, nonlinear optical materials, organic optoelectronics
| INTRODUCTIONFluorescent organic small molecules have received significant attention in modern technology for their vital application in various research areas such as organic light-emitting diodes, [1] organic lasers, [2] organic field effect transistors, [3] organic dye solar cells, [4] organic ligands for detection of hazardous metal ions, [5,6] fluorescent probes [7] and bio-imaging. [8,9] Conventional organic luminophores have drawbacks of molecular aggregation and strong intermolecular or intramolecular interactions; emission losses in solution or in the solid state along with low intensity of emission are known as aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). [10] These types of molecules are not effectively used and have difficulties for practical application.Modern architecture molecules have brought solutions for all the drawbacks of conventional molecules. The cutting edge technology introduced by Tang and colleagues in 2001 is called aggregationinduced emission (AIE), which is not similar to the ACQ of organic luminophores. [11] AIE is a fascinated technology, purely utilized in