The development of facile methods for screening organic functional molecules through C-H bond activation is a revolutionary trend in materials research. The prediction of mechanochromism as well as mechanochromic trends of luminogens is an appealing yet challenging puzzle. Here, we present a strategy for the design of mechanochromic luminogens based on the dipole moment of donor-acceptor molecules. For this purpose, a highly efficient route to 2,7-diaryl-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines (2,7-diaryl-TAPs) has been established through programmed C-H arylation, which unlocks a great opportunity to rapidly assemble a library of fluorophores for the discovery of mechanochromic regularity. Molecular dipole moment can be employed to explain and further predict the mechanochromic trends. The 2,7-diaryl-TAPs with electron-donating groups on the 2-aryl and electron-withdrawing groups on the 7-aryl possess a relatively small dipole moment and exhibit a red-shifted mechanochromism. When the two aryls are interchanged, the resulting luminogens have a relatively large dipole moment and display a blue-shifted mechanochromism. Seven pairs of isomers with opposite mechanochromic trends are presented as illustrative examples. The aryl-interchanged congeners with a bidirectional emission shift are structurally similar, which provides an avenue for understanding in-depth the mechanochromic mechanism.

A general and highly regioselective synthetic protocol for structurally diverse N-heteroaryl-fused phenanthridines has been developed. Varieties of fluorescence molecules comprising imidazole-fused, benzoimidazole-fused, indole-fused and pyrrole-fused phenanthridines were obtained by this modular approach, some of which exhibit excellent blue-emitting performance, high quantum yields, long fluorescence lifetimes, interesting electrochemical properties, and thermal stabilities.

Imidazolium-functionalized squaraine ImSQ8 is synthesized as a sensitive colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor for GTP in aqueous solution. The detection limit of GTP reaches 5.4 ppb. Its applications in the live-cell imaging and enzyme activity assay have also been demonstrated.