In situ preparation of highly fluorescent pyrene-dyes from non-luminous precursors upon photoirradiationElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3cc40827b

The non-luminous precursor, 2-(1-pyrenyl)-9,10-dihydro-9,10-ethanoanthracene-11,12-dione, was photochemically converted to highly-fluorescent 2-(1-pyrenyl)anthracene quantitatively in solution and in the PMMA film and the fluorescence quantum yield of the acene in benzonitrile was as high as 0.99. Non-luminous precursor was photochemically converted to highly-fluorescent quantitatively in solution and in PMMA film.