Aggregation‐induced emission properties of pyridyl‐containing tetra‐arylethenes

Abstract Tetra‐arylethene is one of the most important aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) fluorophores. The electronic effect usually plays a vital role in their optical properties. However, the relationship between AIE property and electronic effect in the same fluorophore is rarely studied. Here, we designed and synthesized a series of pyridyl‐containing tetra‐arylethenes, whose electronic densities could be easily adjusted by the N ‐oxide or N ‐methylation of their pyridyl moieties. The optical data of these compounds at aggregation in different solvent systems or solid state exhibited obviously different AIE properties compared with the classic AIE‐active tetraphenylethene (TPE).