Novel triphenylamine-based two-photon absorption dyes including benzophenone parts

New two-photon absorption dyes including benzophenone parts, p-N,N-diphenylamino-p'-phenacylstilbene (C1), 4,4-di-(4-benzoylstyrene)yltriphenylamine (C2) and 4,4',4 ''-tri(4-benzoylstyrene)yltriphenylamine (C3), were synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR and elemental analysis. The ratio of the molar extinction coefficients of compounds was approximately equal to the ratio of the branch amount of the compounds, namely, C1:C2:C3 was 1:2:3. Extremely high fluorescence quantum yields were detected for these compounds. These molecules exhibited obvious two-photon upconcerted fluorescence as excited by 800 nm Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser. (c) 2009 Fang Gao. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.