Prof.  Vinich  Promarak
Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC),  Thailand

Title: Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) Dyes: Potential Solid-State Luminophores for Advanced Emitting Devices

Abstract:

Fluorescent organic molecules with excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) features have received considerable attention in recent years because of their unique photophysical properties related to large Stokes-shifted fluorescence emission or non-self-absorbing fluorescent emission. ESIPT fluorophores as light-emitting materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and as luminophores for luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) would make a perfect counterpart since the difference between positions of absorption and emission peaks, unlike most organic fluorophores, can help to avoid unwanted self-reabsorption of the emitted light, leading to improved electroluminescence and efficiency. This talk will present an advance in the development of new ESIPT fluorophores. For example, a series of ESIPT–aggregate-induced emission (AIE) solid-state fluorophores as self-absorption-free emitters will be presented. These ESIPT–AIE fluorophores exhibit high thermal and electrochemical stability with decent hole mobilities and are successfully utilized as emitters in OLEDs, which achieved moderate-to-good EL performances. Other types of ESIPT fluorophores, including ESIPT–hybridized local and charge-transfer (HLCT) and ESIPT–triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) materials, as single-molecule white light-emitting materials, will also be mentioned. For LSC applications, a series of modified phenanthroimidazole-phenol and (benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)phenol ESIPT dyes will be reported, and their structural-property relationship will be discussed.

References:

1.  Dyes and Pigments, 2021, 193, 109488.

2.  Materials Chemistry Frontiers, 2021, 5, 6212-6225.

3.  Advanced Photonics Research, 2022, 3, 2100141.

4.  Chemistry–An Asian Journal, 2022, 17, e202200266.

5.  CrystEngComm, 2024, 26, 4698-4707.

6.  Materials Chemistry Frontiers, 2025, 9, 695-709.

7. Materials Chemistry Frontiers, 2026, DOI: 10.1039/D5QM00683J.

8. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2026, DOI: 10.1039/D5TC03720D.

9.  Unpublished results and submitted works

Biography:

Prof. Vinich Promarak received his D.Phil. in Organic Chemistry in 2002 from the University of Oxford, UK. His research interests involve "high-tech" organic materials that can be used in optoelectronic devices. To date, he has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed papers with a current H-index of 50. He was presented with many awards, including Hamakawa Award 2025 at the PVSEC-36, the Distinguished Professor Research Grant 2022, Thailand’s Outstanding Scientist Award 2021, the CST High Impact Chemist Award 2017, and the Outstanding National Researcher Award 2016.