Two-photon excited deep-red and near-infrared emissive organic co-crystals

Abstract Two-photon excited near-infrared fluorescence materials have garnered considerable attention because of their superior optical penetration, higher spatial resolution, and lower optical scattering compared with other optical materials. Herein, a convenient and efficient supramolecular approach is used to synthesize a two-photon excited near-infrared emissive co-crystalline material. A naphthalenediimide-based triangular macrocycle and coronene form selectively two co-crystals. The triangle-shaped co-crystal emits deep-red fluorescence, while the quadrangle-shaped co-crystal displays deep-red and near-infrared emission centered on 668 nm, which represents a 162 nm red-shift compared with its precursors. Benefiting from intermolecular charge transfer interactions, the two co-crystals possess higher calculated two-photon absorption cross-sections than those of their individual constituents. Their two-photon absorption bands reach into the NIR-II region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The quadrangle-shaped co-crystal constitutes a unique material that exhibits two-photon absorption and near-infrared emission simultaneously. This co-crystallization strategy holds considerable promise for the future design and synthesis of more advanced optical materials.