Absorption and fluorescence of arylmethylidenoxindoles and isoindigo

A series of arylmethylidenoxindoles was synthesized by acid or base catalysed condensation of substituted aldehydes with oxindole. The products were formed as mixtures of Z- and E-isomers that were separated using column chromatography and identified by 1H and 13C NMR. The effect of substituents on absorption maxima was investigated both experimentally and theoretically, based on time dependent density functional theory. Low temperature absorption spectroscopy in a solvent glass enabled identification of the position of the 0-0 vibronic bands. The spectral features of the parent Z-benzylidenoxindole were compared to those of trans-isoindigo and trans-stilbene. Fluorescence of arylmethylidenoxindoles in solution was not observed, as E–Z isomerization represents a dominant deactivation channel after irradiation; when this geometrical isomerization was sterically hindered at low temperature solvent glass or in solid, fluorescence of planar Z-isomers was observed.