Synthesis and thermal modulation of the fluorescence of a pyrene-arylmaleimide dyad and its Diels–Alder adduct

The fluorescence of a pyrene-arylmaleimide dyad and its Diels–Alder adduct can be thermally modulated through reversible Diels–Alder reaction of arylmaleimide unit with furan. Moreover, the fluorescence intensities of the Diels–Alder adduct of dyad 1 with furan vary linearly with the temperatures of the corresponding solutions, demonstrating that these molecules are interesting compounds for studies of fluorescent molecular thermometers.