Polysubstituted Pyrenes with Tuned Spectroscopic Properties

Significance

Polysubstituted pyrenes 3-5 are synthesized from the readily accessible 1,8-pyrene­dicarboxylic acid 1 in good yields without the need of chromatographic purification. Absorption and steady-state fluorescence studies showed that the nature of the substituents can control the photophysical properties of the pyrene chromophore. It was also shown that nitro derivatives can quench fluorescence by intra- or intermolecular processes.