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Four cyanostyryl-substituted carbazole derivatives (CN-ODEC1, CN-ODEC2, CN-DDEC1, and CN-DDEC) were synthesized and their self-assembly properties have been studied. It was found that they could form organogels especially in aromatic solvents. Scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy images show that the xerogels formed from monosubstituted derivatives (CN-O/DDEC1) gave well-organized tapes, and those from disubstituted derivatives (CN-O/DDEC2) exhibited heavy entangled three-dimensional structures. The UV–vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra, as well as X-ray diffraction patterns, suggest that carbazole derivatives underwent J-type π-stacking. Meanwhile, we suggested that strong H-bonding and moderate π–π interactions were the key driving force for the gelation of the monosubstituted derivatives, and head-to-tail “ladder-type” J-aggregates were formed in the gel state. On the other hand, strong π–π interaction might be considered as the main driving force for the gelation of disubstituted derivatives, and J-aggregates with no well-organized packing mode of molecules were obtained in the gel phase. It should be noticed that aggregation-induced emission was observed during the gelation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New triphenylvinyl substituted carbazole derivatives TPEICE , TPEC and TPECBr have been synthesized. They could self-assemble into nanofibers via organogelation processes in some organic solvents. Notably, the obtained xerogel-based films could emit strong fluorescence although the three compounds were non-emissive in solutions, indicating AIE in gel phases. The emission of TPEICE and TPEC in xerogel-based films could be quenched significantly upon exposed to gaseous DNT and TNT, while TPECBr could not sense nitro compounds on account of its poor electron donating ability. We also found that reversibility of the fluorescence response of TPEC was better than TPEICE because the photo-induced electron transfer would happen during the recognition of nitroaromatics for TPEICE and TPEC , except for the formation of charge–transfer complex between TPEICE and nitro compounds. Therefore, the different fluorescence response behaviors of TPEICE , TPEC and TPECBr towards nitroaromatics were resulted from their different electron donating abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]