Stereochemical modulation of emission behaviour in E/Z isomers of diphenyldipyrroethene from aggregation induced emission to crystallization induced emission

Abstract

Herein, we report the synthesis, separation and characterisation of the E- and Z-isomers of dipyrrolyldiphenylethene to study their emission behaviour in the aggregation state and solid state. The E-isomer showed pronounced aggregation induced emission (AIE) whereas the Z-isomer showed crystallization induced emission (CIE). The present study explains that the emission behaviour (AIE/CIE) is dependent on the inter/intra molecular interactions between the molecules. The study also confirms that restriction of intramolecular rotation (RIR) is the main cause of AIE/CIE in olefinic luminogens Tetraphenylethylene (TPE) type systems rather than E/Z isomerisation.