LAUSR

Abstract Three unprecedented triphenylamine-based D-A type terpyridine derivatives (TriphenL1-TriphenL3) with different positions of nitrogen atom in the terpyridine moiety were carefully designed and fully characterized, which was further confirmed via single-crystal X-ray diffraction determination. The photophysical properties of all the three compounds were comprehensively studied by both theoretical calculations and experimental techniques, which revealed that TriphenL3 with γ-pyridine in the NIR region possessed large two-photon absorption cross-section. Experiments including photophysical tests and cytotoxicity demonstrated these dyes were characterized with larger Stokes shifts, longer fluorescence lifetime, low toxicity and good cell penetrability, thus TriphenL1-TriphenL3 were succeed to be devoted as cell stains, suggesting a prospect for applications of in vitro and vivo cellular imaging.