Unveiling Halogen-Bonding Interactions between a Pyridine-Functionalized Fluoroborate Dye and Perfluorohaloarenes with Fluorescence Spectroscopy

We have studied the halogen-bonding interactions of a pyridine-functionalized fluoroborate dye with perfluorohaloarenes (C6F6, C6F5Cl, C6F5Br, and C6F5I) in the two-component-only liquid phase using fluorescence spectroscopy. Based on the results of spectroscopic measurements and electronic-structure calculations, we have confirmed the stability only for the complex between C6F5I and the emissive dye, and it has been demonstrated that halogen-bonding interactions are accompanied by significant Stokes shifts for the ππ* band. We also provide experimental evidence that for this complex, the emission is quenched due to a simultaneous decrease of radiative and increase of nonradiative decay rate constants upon halogen-bonding interactions.