Vinylpyrroles: solid-state structures and aggregation-induced emission properties

An aggregation-induced emission chromophore, vinylpyrrole, was prepared from a formylpyrrole derivative, Meldrum's acid, and 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid. The optical properties of the chromophore both in the solution and solid states were investigated by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Single crystal X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that the dimethylbarbituric acid adduct formed a J-aggregate in the solid and resulted in higher fluorescence quantum yield compared to the Meldrum's acid adduct. Emission enhancement was found to occur by the restriction of molecular rotation in the solid state.