Slow diffusion co-assembly as an efficient tool to tune colour emission in alkynyl benzoazoles

• Published in: Dyes and pigments Vol. 176; p. 108246
• Main Authors: Martín, R., Torres-Moya, I., Donoso, B., Carrillo, J.R., González-Domínguez, J.M., Frontiñan-Rubio, J., Prieto, P., Díaz-Ortiz, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2020
• Subjects: 2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole; Benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole; Co-assembly; Organic optical waveguide; Slow diffusion; Tuning colour emission; Slow diffusion; 2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole; Benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole; Organic optical waveguide; Tuning colour emission; Co-assembly
• ISSN: 0143-7208; 1873-3743
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2020.108246

We report here the preparation of co-assembled microcrystals by employing an easy, reproducible and cost-effective technique, namely slow diffusion. 2H-Benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole and benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole were chosen as host and guest skeletons, respectively. Structural similarities allowed the correct co-assembly of the two structures. The co-assemblies were studied by different techniques that included Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, amongst others. The waveguiding properties and the emission colour of the doped organic microcrystals were also investigated. It was found that changes in the molar ratio of the different doping agents could tune the light emission. Fluorescence microscopy images of the co-assembled microcrystals revealed light colour changes from green to whitish, up to CIE coordinates of (0.370, 0.385). These tunable colour-active materials could be useful in the fields of optoelectronics or lab-on-a-chip for integrated optical circuits at micro-/nanoscale. [Display omitted] •Some benzotriazoles and thiadiazoles can act as host and guest co-assembled skeletons.•Slow diffusion, an easy and cost-effective technique to form co-assembled aggregates.•Tunable colour-active materials could be useful in the fields of optoelectronics.•Changes in the molar ratio of the different doping agents can tune the light emission.•Co-assembled microcrystals can act as optical waveguide.