Mechanochromic behavior of aryl-substituted buta-1,3-diene derivatives with aggregation enhanced emission

Three tetra-aryl substituted 1,3-butadiene derivatives with aggregation enhanced emission (AEE) and mechanochromic fluorescence behavior have been rationally designed and synthesized. The results suggest an effective design strategy for developing diverse materials with aggregation induced emission (AIE) and significant mechanochromic performance by employing D-π-A structures with large dipole moments. Mechanochromic luminescence: Three tetra-aryl substituted 1,3-butadiene derivatives with distinct electronic push and/or pull substituents have been prepared. All three derivatives show typical aggregation enhanced emission (AEE) features owing to the restriction of intramolecular rotations. The results demonstrate that chromophores with both large dipole moments and AEE characteristics are of benefit for mechanochromic applications with efficient solid-state emissions.