Polymer immobilization effect on restricting excited state structural distortion: Preparation and characterization of electrospinning fibers doped with a [Cu(N-N)(P-P)] complex

•A diamine ligand derived from oxadiazole and its Cu(I) complex were synthesized.•This complex was doped into a polymer host to restrict is structural distortion in excited state.•Polymer immobilization effect was confirmed by a systematical comparison.•Emission blue shift, long emissive lifetime and better photostability were detected.

This effort was devoted to a diamine ligand derived from an electron-pulling oxadiazole. With PPh3 as an auxiliary ligand of steric hindrance, corresponding Cu(I) complex was prepared. Its single crystal structure, electronic structure and photophysical parameters were analyzed and discussed in detail. It was found that this complex took a distorted tetrahedral coordination structure which suffered from structural distortion badly. To limit its structural distortion and thus improve its emissive performance, this complex was doped into a polymer host (PVP) through electrospinning method. Polymer immobilization effect on restricting excited state structural distortion was confirmed by a systematical comparison between solid sample, bulk sample and polymer-doped fibrous samples. This polymer framework offered a rigid and protective microenvironment for dopant molecules so that their structural distortion in excited state could be restricted, showing improved photophysical performance such as emission blue shift, long emissive lifetime and better photostability.

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