Molecular Engineering toward Broad Color‐Tunable Emission of Pyrene‐Based Aggregation‐Induced Emission Luminogens

Abstract

A molecular design strategy for the precise regulation of full‐color‐tunable emission organic luminescence materials is not yet systematically established for pyrene chemistry. To fabricate color‐tunable and highly‐efficiency pyrene‐based emitters, this article presents novel pyrene‐based molecules with donating‐π‐accepting structures, which exhibit bright, relatively narrow‐band FWHM emission, broad color‐tunable from deep blue (439 nm) to orange‐red (599 nm) both in solution and in the solid state. Moreover, the compounds 2a, 2d–g exhibit typical aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) characteristics, with an enhanced fluorescence quantum yield in the solid state. The experimental results indicated that the presence of the sterically bulky meta‐substituted biphenyl adopts an out‐of‐plane twist conformation, which can strengthen the rigidity of the molecular conformation and suppress the intermolecular π–π stacking in the aggregated state, resulting in an enhanced emission in the solid state. The prepared pyrene‐based AIEgens are applied as fluorescent inks to write Chinese characters and art with a vivid pattern. Thus, this article not only presents an efficient molecular strategy to construct pyrene‐based AIEgen with broad color‐tunable emission properties for practical applications, but also display a powerful combination of the strong alliance between the advanced luminescent materials, art and Chinese traditional culture.