Photo-induced tunable luminescence from an aggregated amphiphilic ethylene-pyrene derivative in aqueous media

An amphiphilic derivative with a large Stokes shift by introducing flexible hydrophilic long chains into a rigid ethylene-pyrene compound have been successfully synthesized. The alkylated compound exhibited a notable change in charge distribution, facilitating cation-π interactions. Through the process of amphiphilic self-assembly, the formation of highly ordered aggregates enabled effective photo-dimerization under 449 nm LED irradiation. Notably, this photo-responsive technology not only exhibited advanced multi-color emission effects, including white light emission but also exhibited environmentally friendly behavior in the aqueous phase.