Solvophobic control aggregation-induced emission of tetraphenylethene-substituted naphthalene diimide via intramolecular charge transfer

Two new tetraphenylethene-core-substituted naphthalene diimides (TPE-cNDI) were synthesized through linking one and two TPE, where TPE acts both as an electron-donor for ICT and also display the characteristic of AIE effect, i.e. is non-emissive in solution but has enhanced red-emission in both the aggregated and the solid state with high quantum efficiency. Furthermore, both the derivatives self-assembled into variety of nano- to micro-structures via solvophobic control.