Tunable Unexplored Luminescence in Waveguides Based on D-A-D Benzoselenadiazoles Nanofibers

A set of novel Donor-Acceptor-Donor (D-A-D) benzoselenadiazole derivatives has been synthesized and crystallized in nanocrystals in order to explore the correlation between their chemical structure and the waveguided luminescent properties. The findings reveal that all crystals exhibit luminescence and active optical waveguiding, demonstrating the ability to adjust their luminescence within a broad spectral range of 550–700 nm depending on the donor group attached to the benzoselenadiazole core. Notably, a clear relationship exists between the HOMO-LUMO energy gaps of each compound and the color emission of the corresponding optical waveguides. These outcomes affirm the feasibility of modifying the color emission of organic waveguides through suitable chemical functionalization. Importantly, this study marks the first utilization of benzoseleniadiazole derivatives for such purposes, underscoring the originality of this research. In addition, the obtention of nanocrystals is a key tool for the implementation of miniaturized photonic devices.