Revealing Crystallization‐Induced Blue‐Shift Emission of a Di‐Boron Complex by Enhanced Photoluminescence and Electrochemiluminescence

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie Vol. 132; no. 40; pp. 17614 - 17619
• Main Authors: Wong, Jonathan M., Zhang, Ruizhong, Xie, Peidong, Yang, Liuqing, Zhang, Minlin, Zhou, Ruixue, Wang, Ruiyao, Shen, Yue, Yang, Bing, Wang, Hong‐Bo, Ding, Zhifeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 28-09-2020
• Subjects: Boron; Chemistry; Crystal structure; Crystallinity; Crystallization; crystallization-induced emission; Electrochemiluminescence; Emission analysis; emission enhancement; Interfaces; Light emission; Luminescence; Photoluminescence; Photons; solid-state emitters
• ISSN: 0044-8249; 1521-3757
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.202007588

Elucidating the effects of crystallization‐induced blue‐shift emission of a newly synthesized di‐boron complex (DBC) by enhanced photoluminescence (PL) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) in the annihilation pathway was realized for the first time. The 57 nm blue‐shift and great enhancement in the crystalline lattice relative to the DBC solution were attributed to the restriction of intramolecular rotation (RIR) and confirmed by PL imaging, X‐ray diffraction, as well as DFT calculations. It was discovered that ECL at crystalline film/solution interfaces can be further enhanced by means of both co‐reactant route and RIR. The RIR contributions with co‐reactant increased ECL up to 5 times more. Very interestingly, the co‐reactant system was found to give off a red‐shifted light emission. Mechanistic studies reveal that a difference between location of the ECL in the co‐reactant route and that in the annihilation pathway leads to an alternative emission wavelength.
Crystallization‐induced emission of a di‐boron complex luminophore, which gives blue‐shifted and enhanced photoluminescence and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) in the annihilation pathway, is reported. ECL at crystalline film/solution interfaces was further enhanced by means of both co‐reactant route and restriction of intramolecular rotation.