Intense fluorescence of air-stable sodium diarylformamidinate: effective control with a novel electron-withdrawing 4-cyano-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl group

4-Cyano-3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl N -substituents significantly enhanced stability toward air and fluorescence of formamidinate salts ( Φ up to 91%). DFT studies suggested the locally excited state derived emission from the amidinate anions.