The design of highly fluorescent chromophores has gained notable interest in recent years. In this work, we synthesized two new dyes based on the 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline scaffold, each bearing a sterically twisted phenyl group at the 1-position of the pyrazole ring. By varying the number of methyl substituents on the phenyl ring (1-(2-methylphenyl) and 1-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)), we were able to tune the torsional angle between the phenyl group and the heterocyclic core. This structural control enabled modulation of key photophysical properties, including fluorescence quantum yield, fluorescence lifetime, emission color, and solvatochromism. The reference compound lacking steric hindrance (1-phenyl-pyrazoloquinoline) displayed polarity-dependent blue-green fluorescence, long fluorescence lifetimes (up to 31 ns), and a large excited-state dipole moment (11.4 D). Increasing steric congestion forced the phenyl ring toward a nearly perpendicular orientation (DFT-predicted torsion ∼80°), reducing electronic coupling with the pyrazole core. This electronic decoupling resulted in highly efficient fluorescence, with quantum yields reaching 100 % and lifetimes of ∼14 ns. Consequently, the emission in polar solvents could be systematically tuned from blue-green to deep blue depending on the number of methyl substituents. The dyes exhibited excellent photostability, with only 1.5 % degradation after 6 h of irradiation at 350 nm, as well as high thermal stability and no tendency to aggregate. Furthermore, the investigated compounds maintained near-unity fluorescence quantum yields even when incorporated into a polymer matrix. These features suggest strong potential for optical applications, particularly as fluorescence quantum yield standards. The experimental observations were supported by quantum-chemical calculations, X-ray crystallography, and cyclic voltammetry measurements.
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