Facile construction of N-alkyl arylaminomaleimide derivatives as intensively emissive aggregation induced emission dyes

Dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and one equivalent of aryl amines lead to dimethyl arylaminofumarates, and subsequent addition of alkyl amines readily gave arylaminomaleimide derivatives. Unsymmetrical structures were easily constructed without troublesome purification process. The obtained compounds showed aggregation induced emission (AIE) properties. The luminescence maximum wavelength at the obtained arylaminomaleimide derivatives in solid state were observed from 492 nm to 535 nm, and the quantum yields were up to 0.51. They also exhibited intense luminescence in a polymer matrix.