Competitive ICT in asymmetric D−A Scaffolds showing visible solvatochromism, temperature-induced emission enhancement and AIE based acidochromism

Abstract

Meticulous attention to details of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) has proved to be an effective strategy to design donor-acceptor fluorophores equipped with multichromic behaviour. Herein, we report three asymmetric donor-acceptor fluorophores bearing A′−D−A−D−A′ and D′−D−A−D−D′ scaffolds. The D−A−D core has been modified by appending pyridine/pyrimidine as additional acceptor and phenyl as additional donor and piperazine as flexible spacers. The asymmetric scaffold has equipped them with naked-eye solvatochromism even under daylight which further authenticated the effective charge separation in ground as well as excited state. The comparative account of photophysical behaviour displays the varying extent of twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) owing to asymmetry. The interplay of restricted intramolecular rotation (RIR) and TICT leads to AIE induced H+ sensing and reversible acidochromism in PC1 which can be visualized by a comparatively uncommon acid induced emission enhancement. The activation of vibrational bands at higher temperature leads to a rare temperature induced emission enhancement in PC1−PC3. PC1 has been developed as the very first ‘turn-on’ thermochromic sensor based on β-diketone-boron difluoride (BF2bdk) complexes.