Zn(II) cation-induced solution emission of 4-(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)benzoic acid: Intuitionistic evidence of RIM mechanism

4-(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)benzoic acid (TPEPhCOOH) with Zn2+ ion induced solution emission (CISE) character was synthesized. The freshly prepared TPEPhCOOH film has the fluorescence (FL) at ca. 498 nm with the excited-state decay lifetime of 2.98 ns and the absolute luminescence quantum yield of 64.8%. The FL studies on the non-radiative TPEPhCOOH/THF solutions with different metal ions suggest that TPEPhCOOH could radiatively response to the presence of Zn2+ ions. The aggregation-induced emission character of TPEPhCOOH in the mixed water/THF solvent (ca. 10−5 mol/L), along with the molecular dynamic and the quantum mechanic calculations, suggests that the Zn2+ CISE of TPEPhCOOH should originate from the coordination between Zn2+ ions and the TPE moiety of TPEPhCOOH.