Original electroactive and fluorescent bichromophores based on non-conjugated tetrazine and triphenylamine derivatives: towards more efficient fluorescent switches

The synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical properties and their interplay as well as theoretical calculations studies of newly designed fluorescent and electroactive derivatives are described. These molecules are composed of two fluorophores: one triphenylamine, electron-rich unit, and one tetrazine, electron-poor unit, connected by two different links. While in the neutral state the bichromophores are not fluorescent, due to a photoinduced electron transfer from the triphenylamine unit to the tetrazine unit, the fluorescence is restored in the oxidative state (oxidation of the triphenylamine moiety).