Donor-acceptor compound based on rhodanineacetic acid-pyrene derivative: red-light emitting fluorescent organic nanoparticles.

A donor-acceptor compound based on Rhodanineacetic acid-pyrene derivative (RAAP), which emits weak yellow-green fluorescence in the methanol solution, was investigated. RAAP nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 50-60 nm were prepared by a simple reprecipitation method without surfactants. The observation of RAAP nanoparticles were undertaken through SEM and TEM method. The emission spectra of RAAP nanoparticles are red-shifted (Δ λ(em) = 86 nm) to red region and the intensity is 40-fold higher than that in the methanol solution. Both the J-aggregation and aggregation-induced intramolecular planarization are considered to be the probable mechanism of strong emission for RAAP nanoparticles. The excellent sensibility toward organic vapor which profits from its fluorescence switching behavior is well demonstrated by vapor experiment.