All in One: Stimuli-Responsive, Efficient Mitotracking, and Single Source White Light Emission

Abstract

“All in one” type luminogens, possessing combined properties related to optical, materials, and biological implications, are of urgent demand today, mainly because of the combined application potential of such probes. To the best of our knowledge, until now, an “all in one” type white light emitter together with stimuli-responsive behavior and highly efficient mitochondrial-tracking ability has not been reported yet. In this contribution, for the first time, we have investigated a pair of luminogens exhibiting white light emission (CIE coordinates: 0.35, 0.35 (DPAEOA) and 0.29, 0.33(DPAPMI)) with temperature-induced mechanochromic features of a centrosymmetrically packed probe (space group P–1). Most importantly, despite being neutral, our designed probe DPAEOA can specifically illuminate mitochondria with the highest Pearson coefficient value (0.93), which is rare, as almost all the commercially developed mitotrackers are cationic fluorophores. Thus, this study will pave a new avenue for the design of next generation “all in one” type organic luminogens exhibiting potential applications in notable optical, materials, and biological fields.