Emission enhancement of cationic tetraphenylethylene derivatives by encapsulation in cucurbit[10]uril host in water

Binding of a series of cationic tetraphenylethylene (TPE) derivatives with cucurbit[10]uril (CB[10]) host has been investigated. Compared to the free forms, all guests exhibit fluorescence enhancement upon encapsulation by CB[10]. Thus, by restricting intramolecular rotation through host-guest encapsulation instead of aggregation, fluorescence enhancement of TPE derivatives can be realized in water.