Solid-state terpyridine and a pyrene derivative show a clear luminescence change upon heating and pressing, respectively, which is ascribed to alteration of the mode of molecular packing by external stimuli. Since the efficient luminescence switching is achieved without transformation of their chemical structures, the process is reproducible and reliable, offering a way for development of a new class of organic photofunctional materials. In this report, details of the solid-state luminescence switching are described, and the novel design concept for the photofunctional materials is discussed.

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