Synthesis, aggregation-induced emission and application as chemosensor for explosives of a 1,10-phenanthroline derivative and its rhenium(I) carbonyl complex having triphenylamino and thienyl donors

Abstract

A C-shaped 1,10-phenanthroline ligand and its rhenium(I) carbonyl complex were designed and synthesized. Single-crystal structure reveals that one chloroform molecule is accommodated on this ligand and the bond lengths of double hydrogen bonding interactions is 2.31 and 2.67Å, respectively, between two nitrogen atom sites of 1,10-phenanthroline and one hydrogen atom of chloroform. Aggregation-induced fluorescence experiments demonstrate that the ligand presents an aggregation-induced emission enhancement from 60% to 70% water volume fractions, while the complex shows a red-shifted aggregation-caused quenching phenomenon from 461 to 506nm. Furthermore, fluorescence titration analysis proves that the ligand is one of a potential chemosensors for 2-methyl-1,3-dinitrobenzene in tetrahydrofuran solution. In addition, theoretic computational studies on related ligand and complex have also been carried out.