Highly Photostable and Fluorescent Microporous Solids Prepared via Solid-State Entrapment of Boron Dipyrromethene Dyes in a Nascent Metal–Organic Framework

We report a strategy to synthesize highly emissive, photostable, microporous materials by solid-state entrapment of boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) fluorophores in a metal–organic framework. Solvent-free mechanochemistry or accelerated aging enabled quantitative capture and dispersal of the PM605 dye within the ZIF-8 framework starting from inexpensive, commercial materials. While the design of emissive BODIPY solids is normally challenged by quenching in a densely packed environment, herein reported PM605@ZIF-8 materials show excellent emissive properties and to the best of our knowledge an unprecedented ∼10-fold enhancement of BODIPY photostability. Time-resolved and steady-state fluorescence studies of PM605@ZIF-8 show that interchromophore interactions are minimal at low dye loadings, but at higher ones lead to through-pore energy transfer between chromophores and to aggregate species.Fil: Glembockyte, Viktorija. McGill University; CanadáFil: Frenette, Mathieu. Mcgill University; Canadá. Université du Québec a Montreal; CanadáFil: Mottillo, Cristina. Mcgill University; CanadáFil: Durantini, Andres Matías. Mcgill University; Canadá. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Química; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Instituto para el Desarrollo Agroindustrial y de la Salud. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto para el Desarrollo Agroindustrial y de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Gostick, Jeff. Mcgill University; CanadáFil: Strukil, Vjekoslav. Mcgill University; Canadá. Ruđer Bošković Institute; CroaciaFil: Friščić, Tomislav. Mcgill University; Canadá. Ruđer Bošković Institute; CroaciaFil: Cosa, Gonzalo. Mcgill University; Canad