How molecular electrochemistry may shine light by designing electrofluorochromic compounds

Luminescence and electrochemistry have been intimately associated for a long time in the framework of electrochemiluminescence, where the electrochemical signal triggers light emission through a redox reaction. More recently another aspect of this coupling has been developed in electrofluorochromism, where electrochemistry is used to monitor photoluminescence processes. This review aims to highlight some molecular structures allowing emission properties to be tuned electrochemically through either redox-active luminophores or dyads in which a redox moiety can (de)activate the luminescence of a nearby unit. The working principle and main applications are also briefly discussed.