Insight into the Clustering-Triggered Emission and Aggregation-Induced Emission Exhibited by an Adamantane-Based Molecular System

Chemical clustering of a nonemissive and non-AIEgen of Cb-Ph endowed a molecular system (Ad-4CP) with unique dual emissions in the solution state, a typical clustering-triggered emission (CTE), and high emission efficiency in the aggregated state, an aggregation-induced emission (AIE). The CTE was ascribed to intramolecular charge transfer (CT); however, the AIE was ascribed to both intra- and intermolecular CTs. The two-level CTs make the Ad-4CP exhibit remarkable excitation-dependent emissions. We believe that the present work not only delivers a peculiar molecular system with both CTE and AIE properties but also provides an example on how molecular engineering promotes the rational design of CTE and AIE systems via clusterization of suitable structural units.对Cb-Ph这一非发射性、非聚集诱导发光分子（non-AIEgen）进行化学簇化修饰后，其所构建的分子体系Ad-4CP在溶液态下展现出独特的双重发射特性——这属于典型的簇诱导发光（clustering-triggered emission, CTE）；同时该体系在聚集态下具备高发光效率，即聚集诱导发光（aggregation-induced emission, AIE）。该簇诱导发光源于分子内电荷转移（intramolecular charge transfer, CT），而聚集诱导发光则同时源自分子内与分子间电荷转移。这两类电荷转移过程使得Ad-4CP展现出显著的激发波长依赖发射特性。我们认为，本研究不仅构建了同时具备簇诱导发光与聚集诱导发光特性的特殊分子体系，更为通过合理构筑合适结构单元的簇化结构，理性设计簇诱导发光与聚集诱导发光体系提供了可行范例。