2,6‐Bis(arylsulfonyl)anilines as Fluorescent Scaffolds through Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds: Solid‐State Fluorescence Materials and Turn‐On‐Type Probes Based on Aggregation‐Induced Emission

A series of 2,6-bis[aryl(alkyl)sulfonyl]anilines were synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of 2,6-dichloronitrobenzene with various aryl or alkyl thiolates (benzyl-, phenyl-, 2-naphthyl-, and 2-aminophenyl thiolate), followed by hydrogenation and subsequent oxidation. All prepared 2,6-bis[aryl-(alkyl)sulfonyl]anilines showed high fluorescence emissions in the solid state; X-ray structures revealed well-defined intramolecular hydrogen bonds, which served to immobilize the rotatable amino group and generate a fluorescence enhancement in addition to improved photostability. Moreover, absorption and fluorescence spectra showed redshifts in the order of benzyl更多