Abstract
Tetrabenzo[5.7]fulvalene,
one of the first recognized stable members of mixed fulvalenes, has
attracted widespread interest for its remarkable structure. However, little has been
known about its photoactivity, most likely owning to its very weak luminescence
in solution state. Here we show for the first time that this compound exhibits
aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties. Its photoluminescence and X-ray
crystal structure reveal an interesting mechanism of AIE phenomenon.