Modulation of the Emission Mode of a Pt(II) Complex via Intermolecular Interactions.

Compounds with controllable color emissions are potentially useful as photoluminescent materials in imaging and sensing applications. Multimolecular emission can be used realizing variable-color emitters and has been demonstrated in the solid state. However, achieving multimolecular emission in solution is difficult to control. In this study, we used a combination of intermolecular interactions, namely hydrogen bonding and solvophobic effect, to modulate multimolecular emissions. A designed Pt complex demonstrated three emission colors: blue (monomer emission), yellow (emission form hydrogen-bonded dimer), and orange (aggregate emission). All of the emission modes exhibited high luminescence quantum yields, as a result of their uniform assemblies.