Dominos-like crystalline phase transformation of fluorescence emitters bearing energy-boosted structure

The exploration of molecular dominos-like crystalline phase transformation, based on π-functional optoelectronic molecules, is promising for smart sensor devices and delivering encryption information. Herein, we report an energy-boosted dominos-like crystalline phase transformation through controlling π···π stacking manners of fluorescent molecules, dimethyl 2,5-bis((2,3,4-trifluorophenyl)amino)terephthalate (234-TFAT). Upon solvent vapor atmosphere and thermal condition, yellow-orange-emitted crystals can realize the chain-like crystalline phase transition, where the molecular stacking areas is decreasing one-third from the standing-state to the lying-state π···π stacking mode. Meanwhile, such lying-state π···π stacking mode can achieve the single molecular emission at 542 nm that blue-shifted from 585 nm under the standing-state stacking mode. On this basis, we test the application in visualizing Morse code for message encrypting and deciphering. This research helps us establish universal design principles with energy-boosted supramolecular dominos-like crystalline phase transformation and provides a novel molecular platform for the multi-stimuli responsive functional materials.