Browsing by Author "Nair, Akshay J.M."

A series of α-cyanostyrenes bearing anthracene and electron withdrawing trifluoromethyl units were designed and synthesized. The α-cyanostyrene skeleton favors aggregation induced enhanced emission behavior due to the restriction of intramolecular rotations. Remarkably, the anthryl cyanostyrenes bearing simple trifluoromethyl (CF3) substituents form stable organogels with enhanced fluorescence emission compared to their solution state. In water, the CF3 substituted anthrylstyrenes self-assemble into entangled fibrous nano/microstructures through intermolecular H-bonding, π-π stacking and cyano substituent interactions. The morphological features of the aggregates and the gels were substantiated using scanning electron microscopy, TEM, and powder XRD measurements. The stability of the gels was assessed using rheology investigations.

α-Cyanostyrenes bearing a planar pyrene unit and electron withdrawing trifluoromethyl units were designed and synthesized. The conformational restriction due to the presence of the cyano group on the double bond favors aggregation induced emission in aqueous media. The styrylpyrenes aggregate to form microstructures influenced by π-π stacking, cyano and CF3 substituent interactions. Importantly confluence of the pyrene ring and simple trifluoromethyl (CF3) unit allows the formation of a stable organogel with bathochromic shifts in emission. The formation of aggregates and the gel was substantiated using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The stability of the gels was assessed using rheology investigations and rationalized by single crystal X-ray data.