Double alkylene-strapped diphenylanthracene as a photostable and intense solid-state blue-emitting material.

We report the synthesis and photochemical and photophysical properties of double alkylene-strapped 9,10-diphenylanthracene derivatives 3a-c (a: C6 strap, b: C7 strap, c: C8 strap) in which the reactive central aromatic ring of the anthracene moiety is protected by the double alkylene straps. Thus, 3a-c were much more resistant to photochemical reactions than the parent 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA). Furthermore, 3b in C6H12 as well as in a cast film and the powder state showed the highest fluorescence quantum yields among 3a, 3b, quadruple triethylsilyl-protected DPA 4, and DPA, wherein the C7 strap in 3b effectively serves to block fluorescence self-quenching.