The influence of the crystal structure on aggregation-induced luminescence of derivatives of aminobenzoic acid

The luminescence of three derivatives of 2-(phenylamino)-benzoic acid (N-phenylanthranilic, mefenamic, and niflumic acids) in benzene solution, in the polycrystalline state, and in the hexamethylbenzene matrix is studied. In the crystalline state, these compounds exhibit intense aggregation-induced luminescence. An increase in luminescence is also observed in the impurity crystal. The hexamethylbenzene crystal lattice restricts the mobility of molecules, thus ensuring the rigidity of the molecular structure of acids, which decreases the efficiency of nonradiative electron energy degradation. The main reason for the increase in the luminescence intensity in the case of fixation in a crystalline matrix is the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and dimers of acid molecules.