Abstract:Two fluorescent molecules with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature, 5-(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)-2,2'-bipyridine (Bpy-1TPE) and 5,5'-bis(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)-2,2'-bipyridine (Bpy-2TPE), were synthesized from 5-bromo-2,2'-bipyridine, 5,5'-dibromo-2,2'-bipyridine, and 4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenylboronic acid via Suzuki coupling reaction. All proposed structures were characterized by 1HNMR, 13CNMR and elemental analyses. Their UV-vis absorption, fluorescence, AIE and piezochromic properties were investigated with the aim of understanding the structure-property correlations. Compared with Bpy-1TPE, Bpy-2TPE with two TPE units has a larger conjugation and a symmetrical charge distribution, which exhibited a lower energy gap width, and a red-shift of the emission from 483 to 490 nm in CH2Cl2. Bpy-2TPE showed obvious AIE and piezochromic properties, the emission maximum of its solid sample was red shifted from 485 to 500 nm after grinding.