MagnaPharm Researchers Successfully Demonstrate the Impact of Polymorphism on Fluorescence of a Molecule

31st January 2019

When molecules form a crystal, their optical properties are dependent on the way in which they are packed. In many cases a fluorescent molecule will cease to fluoresce in the solid state due to aggregation caused quenching (ACQ).

However, MagnaPharm researchers from the University of Bristol have shown how different arrangements of the molecules within the crystal (polymorphism) can nullify this effect.

Here we show optical (left) and UV (right) images of two different polymorphs of the same molecule; the packing of the orange crystal leads to ACQ, whereas in the yellow crystal it does not.

Analysis of the structure of these crystals will help us further understand the mechanisms of ACQ, to help us search for crystals in the future with desired optical properties.