A highly efficient solution and solid state ESIPT fluorophore and its OLEDs application

Pei Yu (1) , Virgile Trannoy (1) , Anne Léaustic (1) , Sophie Gadan (1) , Régis Guillot (1) , Clémence Allain (2) , Gilles Clavier (2) , Sandra Mazerat (1) , Bernard Geffroy (3, 4)

1 ICMMO - Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d'Orsay
2 PPSM - Photophysique et Photochimie Supramoléculaires et Macromoléculaires
3 LICSEN - Laboratoire Innovation en Chimie des Surfaces et NanoSciences
4 LPICM - Laboratoire de physique des interfaces et des couches minces [Palaiseau]

We present herein the synthesis and the photophysics of 2,2’-bipyridine-3,3’-diol-5,5’-dicarboxylic acid ethyl ester (BP(OH)$_2$DCEt$_2$), an excited state intramolecular proton tranfer (ESIPT)-based fluorophore featuring two identical intramolecular hydrogen bonds. BP(OH)$_2$DCEt$_2$ emits efficiently not only in solution, including protic solvents ($\lambda _{em}$ = 521 nm, $\Phi$$_f$ = 40 to 75%), but also in crystalline state ($\lambda _{em}$ = 530 nm, $\Phi$$_f$ = 51%). In addition, its saponified form (Na2BP(OH)2DC) is highly fluorescent in water ($\lambda _{em}$ = 490 nm, $\Phi$$_f$ = 51%). Finally, the good electroluminescence performance of BP(OH)$_2$DCEt$_2$ is also demonstrated in an OLED device.

Domains: Chemical Sciences; Material chemistry

Pei Yu, Virgile Trannoy, Anne Léaustic, Sophie Gadan, Régis Guillot, et al.. A highly efficient solution and solid state ESIPT fluorophore and its OLEDs application. New Journal of Chemistry, In press, 45, pp.3014-3021. ⟨10.1039/D0NJ05600F⟩. ⟨cea-03112970⟩