Synthesis and Photophysical Characterization of 2,3-Dihydroquinolin-4-imines: New Fluorophores with Color-Tailored Emission.

In this study, a series of variously substituted 2,3-dihydroquinolin-4-imines (DQIs) were synthesized from N-substituted propargylanilines by copper(I)-catalyzed annulation. The approach adopted in this study under mild, effective conditions exhibited broad substrate tolerance, particularly for functional groups substituted on anilines. Most of the DQI derivatives synthesized under optimal conditions were obtained in good isolated yields of 63-88 %. 2,3-Dihydroquinolinimine thus obtained was easily converted to important structures like 2,3-dihydroquinolone and tetrahydrobenzodiazepin-5-one, confirming the importance of this strategy in constructing various heterocycles. Surprisingly, 2,3-dihydroquinolinimines thus obtained exhibited bright fluorescence with quantum yields up to 66 %. The density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations were performed for understanding the excited-state nature of DQI system. Accordingly, a tailored DQI derivative bearing methoxy group at C-6 position and acetoxy group at C-7 position was designed and synthesized to give emission at 559 nm with redshift compared to the 7-methoxy substituted DQI. A detailed study of DQI structures with their photophysical properties was performed with five control molecules and consequently demonstrated the uniqueness of the chemical structures of DQIs.