White Light Emission in Butadiyne Bridged Pyrene–Phenyl Hybrid Fluorophore: Understanding the Photophysical Importance of Diyne Spacer and Utilizing the Excited-State Photophysics for Vapor Detection

Abstract

Generation of white light emission (WLE) from a single organic fluorophore is challenging because of the need to get fluorescence covering the visible region (400–700 nm) upon excitation of the dye at near-ultraviolet wavelength. Herein, we report WLE from a butadiyne bridged pyrene–phenyl hybrid fluorophore in mixed-aqueous solvents as well as in polymer film matrices. The ability of the butadiynyl dye to emit from multiple excited states such as locally excited (LE; 400–500 nm), aggregate (excimer type; 475–600 nm), and charge transfer (CT; 500–750 nm) states spanning the emission almost throughout the visible range has made the generation of the white light to be possible. In highly polar solvent such as acetonitrile, the butadiynyl dye emits from the LE and CT states, and the WLE is achieved through a control of the dye concentration such that intermolecular CT (exciplex type) contributes along with the intramolecular CT and LE emissions. In mixed-aqueous systems such as water–acetonitrile and water–N,N-dimethylformamide, the CT emission is red-shifted (because of the high dielctric constant of water), and the contribution of the aggregate emission (originated because of the poor solvent water) is important in maintaining the relative distribution of the fluorescence intensities (LE, excimer, and CT) in the entire visible region. The significance of the diyne spacer in achieving the WLE is delineated through a control study with a single acetylenic analogue. The LE, aggregate, and CT emissions are involved in generating bluish-white light in a poly(vinyl alcohol) film matrix of the butadiynyl dye. Blue emission is noted in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film matrix of the dye with a major contribution from the LE and a minor contribution from the aggregate state. Exposure of the PMMA film of the dye to polar aprotic vapors assists in gaining the CT state emission such that the LE, aggregate, CT emissions cover the entire visible region to produce the WLE. This opens a new strategy for selective vapor sensing.