Soichiro Azuma, Takumi Matsuo, Shunya Aoyagi, Soh Kushida, Yohei Yamamoto, Shotaro Hayashi
ChemPhotoChem 10(9) 2026年9月8日
Organic single‐crystal lasers require materials that unite strong solid‐state luminescence, controlled crystallization, and well‐defined optical resonator structures. However, π–π stacking, polymorphism, and aggregation‐induced quenching frequently impede the reliable molecular design of such systems. Here, we report β‐dicyanostilbene (βDCS)‐based luminogens engineered to address these challenges through the introduction of tert ‐butyl groups and fluorine substituents, which synergistically enhance solubility, suppress π–π interactions, and generate a twisted molecular geometry. Solution‐phase crystallization at room temperature yielded two distinct polymorphs, each possessing markedly different packing arrangements yet similarly high luminescence efficiencies. Both polymorphs exhibited monomer‐like emission in the solid state and demonstrated clear laser oscillation. Structural analysis and Hirshfeld surface mapping confirmed the absence of π–π stacking in either crystal, while time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) calculations indicated that the emission originates primarily from π–π* transitions along the molecular long axis. Notably, the ability of both polymorphs to lase—despite their distinct crystal architectures—challenges the conventional assumption that polymorphism degrades laser performance. These findings establish bulky‐substituent introduction and controlled molecular twisting as effective design strategies for achieving polymorph control, preserving luminescence properties, and enabling laser oscillation in βDCS‐based single‐crystal materials.