LAUSR

Abstract Three new fluorescent bent shaped conjugated compounds have been designed and synthesized by linking two 3,4-dialkoxyphenyl units to the para positions of 2-methoxy-4,6-diphenylnicotinonitrile core via olefin bonds. The effect of terminal linear chains (like hexyloxy, octyloxy, and hexadecyloxy chains) on their photophysical (solvatochromism and aggregation induced emission (AIE)) and electrochemical properties were systematically investigated. All the compounds exhibit strong solvatochromism and only the compounds bearing lower alkoxy chains (i.e. hexyloxy and octyloxy chains) shows the AIE behavior. Further, the electrochemical studies shows that the compounds possess a band gap of ∼2.26 eV with deep-lying highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level at ∼ −5.94 eV and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level at ∼ −3.70 eV. From the literature, it was noted that the observed frontier energy values of these compounds are encouragingly matching to the frontier energy values of perylene diimide (PDI) and indandione derivative based non-fullerene acceptors, thus, these compounds pave the way for their potential applications in solar cells.