Halogen-Bond-Assisted Photoluminescence Modulation in Carbazole-Based Emitter

Sci Rep. 2018 Sep 26;8(1):14431. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-32830-3.

Abstract

Halogen bonding between a carbazole-based, pyridine-substituted organic semiconductor and a common halogen-bond donor (pentafluoroiodobenzene) yields efficient halogen-bond-driven fluorescence modulation in solution. Steady-state, time-resolved emission and absorption spectroscopy as well as density functional theory studies demonstrate that the fluorescence modulation arises from halogen-bond-induced intramolecular charge transfer. Fluorescence modulation offers a range of possibilities both in solution and in the solid state, for instance providing a potential pathway for the design of tunable luminescent materials for light-emitting devices.