Photophysics of Diphenylbutadiynes in Water, Acetonitrile–Water, and Acetonitrile Solvent Systems: Application to Single Component White Light Emission

Abstract

Diacetylenes have been the subject of current research because of their interesting optoelectronic properties. Herein, we report that substituted diphenylbutadiynes exhibit locally excited (LE) and excimer emissions in water and multiple emissions from the LE, excimer, and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states in acetonitrile–water solvent systems. The LE, excimer, and ICT emissions are clearly distinguishable for a diphenylbutadiynyl derivative with push (−NMe2)–pull (−CN) substituents and those are closely overlapped for non-push–pull analogues. In neat acetonitrile, the excimer emission disappears and the LE and ICT emissions predominate. In the case of the push (−NMe2)–pull (−CN) diphenylbutadiyne, the intensity of the ICT emission increases with increasing the fluorophore concentration. This suggests that the ICT emission accompanies with intermolecular CT emission which is of exciplex type. As the LE and exciplex emissions of the push–pull diphenylbutadiyne together cover the visible region (400–700 nm) in acetonitrile, a control of the fluorophore concentration makes the relative intensities of the LE and exciplex emissions such that pure white light emission is achieved. The white light emission is not observed in those diphenylbutadiynyl analogues in which the peripheral substituents of the phenyl rings do not possess strong push–pull character.