Volume-conserved Twist Excited-state of π-Conjugated Molecules

The excited state characters of HY103 have been studied by means of time-resolved photon emission (time-correlated single photon counting) and time dependent density functional theory calculations. The experimental and theoretical results demonstrate that HY103 dyes undergo an efficient one-bond-flip motion after photoexicitation at room temperature, which leads to a very short lifetime of the normal fluorescence state, and a weak fluorescence emission around 670 nm. However, when HY103 are excited in amorphous glasses at 77 K, the normal fluorescence emission is prolonged to nanoseconds time scale about 2 ns, and the fluorescence emission is enhanced. Furthermore, a new emission state is produced, which is characterized as a volume-conserved twisted (VCT) state. This is the first observation of a VCT state. The experiment indicates that the VCT motion of excited state of ?-conjugated molecules in restricted environment can form a stable emission state, and the excited state character of ?-conjugated molecules in restricted environment is complex.