New intramolecular through-space charge transfer emission: tunable dual fluorescence of terfluorenes

We have synthesized a series of new terfluorene derivatives, and investigated their novel fluorescence emission behaviors. We have demonstrated a new intramolecular through-space charge transfer emission experimentally and theoretically. This is the first report on spiroconjugation-like caused fluorescence emission, which could be tuned by the electron nature of pendent groups without changing their absorption.