Crystalline materials with appealing luminescent properties are attractive materials for various optoelectronic applications. The in situ bicomponent reaction of 1,2-ethylenedisulfonic acid with 1,4-di(pyrid-2-yl)benzene, 1,4-di(pyrid-3-yl)benzene, or 1,4-di(pyrid-4-yl)benzene affords luminescent crystals with hydrogen-bonded polymeric structures. Variations in the positions of the pyridine nitrogen atoms lead to alternating polymeric structures with either a ladder- or zigzag-type of molecular arrangement. By using a nanoprecipitation method, microcrystals of these polymeric structures are prepared, showing polarized luminescence with a moderate degree of polarization.
Keywords: assembly; hydrogen bond; luminescence; molecular crystals.