Origin of Water-Induced Fluorescence Turn-On from a Schiff Base Compound: AIE or H-Bonding Promoted ESIPT?

ABSTRACT: A nonfluorescent Schiff base compound (4) in an aprotic solvent (e.g., CH3CN) is found to give blue fluorescence turn-on (λem ≈ 475 nm) upon addition of H2O. By using a wide range of spectroscopic methods, including (1)H NMR and dynamic light scattering, the fluorescence response is shown to be not originating from the molecular aggregation-induced emission (AIE). Spectroscopic studies at low temperatures further reveal a dynamic response of 4 to temperature, showing that the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) can be ON or OFF through interaction with protic solvent. In the binary solvent (with composition CH3CN/H2O = 3:1), the Schiff base gives ESIPT emission (λem ≈ 524 nm) only at extremely low temperature (below -80 °C), which is turned off when being warmed to -60 °C,

SUBMITTER: McDonald L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4844177 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature