Hybrid <i>cis</i>/<i>trans</i> Tetra-arylethenes with Switchable Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) and Reversible Photochromism in the Solution, PMMA Film, Solid Powder, and Single Crystal

How to efficiently design and synthesize multifunctional molecules is particularly challenging. In this presentation, we devote to constructing a kind of simple structures with composite functionalities through straightforward preparation. Starting from common commercially available materials, the titled cis/trans-tetraarylethenes can be conveniently obtained by a one-pot process under mild conditions. The different configurations were confirmed by 1H NMR and single crystal data analysis. The trans-tetraarylethenes could be converted into cis-forms not only by photoirradiation but also by microwave irradiation, which provided us a new choice for isomeric conversion, especially in relation to light sensitivity. Results show that all the hybrid cis/trans-isomers performed switchable fluorescence and reversible photochromism in solution, PMMA film, solid powder, and single crystal. Moreover, these hybrid tetraarylethenes could be utilized as photoswitchable media to tune the behavior of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). These versatile properties are favorable for the potential applications in fluorescent photoswitches, nondestructive readout, and logic gates. We hope that our design strategy could provide a new protocol for constructing a kind of multifunctional molecules based some simple structure and convenient synthetic procedures.高效设计与合成多功能分子始终是极具挑战性的课题。本报告旨在通过简便的制备手段，构建一类兼具复合功能的简单分子结构。本研究以常见商用原料为起始物，通过温和条件下的一锅法即可便捷合成目标产物顺/反式四芳基乙烯（cis/trans-tetraarylethenes）。通过核磁共振氢谱（1H NMR）与单晶数据分析验证了两种不同的构型。反式四芳基乙烯不仅可通过光辐照，还可通过微波辐照转化为顺式构型，这为异构化转化提供了新的途径，尤其适用于涉及光敏感性的场景。研究结果表明，所有顺反杂化异构体在溶液、聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）薄膜、固体粉末以及单晶状态下均表现出可切换荧光与可逆光致变色特性。此外，这类杂化四芳基乙烯可作为光开关介质，用于调控聚集诱导发射（AIE）与聚集诱导猝灭（ACQ）的行为。这些多样的特性使其有望应用于荧光光开关、无损读取以及逻辑门等领域。我们期望本研究的设计策略可为基于简单结构与简便合成路线构建多功能分子提供全新的方案。