Synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical properties of aza-boron-diquinomethene complexes

•Our work succeeds in synthesizing a series of aza-boron-diquinomethene complexes.•These complexes show high fluorescence quantum yields and thermal stability.•Optical, electrochemical properties and DFT calculations were investigated.•These complexes are expected to be promising light-emitting materials in OLEDs.

A series of aza-boron-diquinomethene (aza-BODIQU) complexes with different aryl-substituents (B1–B6) were synthesized and characterized. Their photophysical properties were investigated systematically via spectroscopic and theoretical methods. All complexes exhibit strong 1π–π* absorption bands and intense fluorescent emission bands in the visible spectral region at room temperature. The fluorescence spectra in solution show the mirror image features of the S0→S1 absorption bands, which can be assigned to the 1π–π*/1ICT (intramolecular charge transfer) emitting states. Except for B6, all complexes exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yields (ΦPL = 0.47–0.93). The spectroscopic studies and theoretical calculations indicate that the photophysical properties of these aza-BODIQUs can be tuned by the appended aryl-substituents, which would be useful for rational design of boron–fluorine complexes with high emission quantum yield for organic light-emitting applications.

Graphical abstractA series of aza-boron-diquinomethene complexes B1–B6 exhibit sharp absorption and emission bands with high photoluminescence quantum yields (ΦPL = 0.47–0.93). Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide