Aromatic fumaronitrile core-based donor-linker-acceptor-linker-donor (D-pi-A-pi-D) compounds: synthesis and photophysical properties.

A new class of aromatic fumaronitrile core-based compounds with different donors and linkers has been synthesized and well characterized. Compounds 1 and 2 have indole and 2-phenylindole groups as electron donors, respectively. Compounds 3 and 4 have a diphenylamino group as the electron donor, and compound 5 has a 3,6-di-tert-butylcarbazole group as an electron donor. These compounds absorb in the blue-to-green region and emit in the blue-to-red region depending on the electron donor, linker, and solvents. The quantum yields of fluorescence of these compounds in solution are measured and found to be moderate, but in solid states, they are high. These compounds display strong emission solvatochromism that is reflected by a large shift in their fluorescence emission maxima on changing the solvents. This change is accompanied by a successive decrease in fluorescence intensity. The fluorescence lifetimes of these compounds are measured in different solvent and found to vary from <1 to 7 ns. Optical switching of these compounds with solvents, concentration, and excitation energy have been studied. The correlation between the functional group and optical properties has been established to some extent. The ability of these compounds to function as colorimetric and luminescence pH sensors is demonstrated with color changes and luminescence switching upon the addition of trifluoroacetic acid. The potentiality of these compounds for application in optoelectronics has been optically assessed.