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Recent progress on the excited-state multiple proton transfer process in organic molecules

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Abstract

In contrast to the widely reported excited-state single proton-transfer, excited-state multiple proton transfer (ESMPT) containing two or more intra- or inter-molecular proton transfers has greatly expanded the research scope of the excited-state proton transfers. In recent decades, ESMPT-active organic molecules have attracted much attention owing to their unique photophysical properties, such as large magnitude Stokes shifts and dual emission. These photophysical properties facilitate the application of the organic molecules in organic solid-state lasers, fluorescent probes and sensors, and molecular switches. Herein, we introduce the fundamentals of the ESMPT and review the recent advances in different types of ESMPTs in organic molecules. Finally, we present our conclusions and the future development prospects of the ESMPT in organic molecules.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52173177, 21971185, 22105139) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2020M681707). This project is also funded by the Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (CIC-Nano), and by the “111” Project of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of China.

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

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  1. Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China

    Wan-Ying Yang, Chang-Cun Yan, Xue-Dong Wang & Liang-Sheng Liao

  2. Macao Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, 999078, China

    Liang-Sheng Liao

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Yang, WY., Yan, CC., Wang, XD. et al. Recent progress on the excited-state multiple proton transfer process in organic molecules. Sci. China Chem. 65, 1843–1853 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-022-1375-y

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