The Marriage of Aggregation‐Induced Emission with Polymer Science

Abstract

The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.201800568. Aggregation-Induced EmissionAggregation-induced emission (AIE) is a novel photophysical phenomenon coined in 2001 by our group and describes the enhanced light emission of some luminogens in the aggregate or solid state. The combination of AIE research and polymer science is a smart approach to produce functional luminescent materials with mechanical strength and excellent processability for real-world applications. In this feature article, recent progress in AIE polymeric systems, including chemical synthesis and physical blending strategies, is summarized. Through chemical synthesis, various AIE-active polymers, such as covalently bonded polymers, supramolecular polymers, and nonconjugated luminescent polymers, can be obtained. Serving as environmentally sensitive probes, AIE luminogens can also be physically doped into polymers to generate interesting systems. Finally, outlooks and perspectives on the future direction of AIE polymeric systems are discussed.

A hyper-branched polymer tunes the size and enhances the fluorescent properties of aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles

“…This observation was consistent with other studies, where enhancement of uorescence properties via the formation of hydrogen bonds was reported. 4,10,12 The chemical structures of AIE and the HBP are presented in Fig. 1b and c, respectively.…”

“…9 The preparation of AIE active luminogens with high molecular weight and functionality (>2) might help to address this drawback, meanwhile contributing to the development of polymeric components with new properties. 10,11 Compared to small or low molecular weight AIE molecules, AIE-HBP displays more prominent advantages, including variation in structure and properties and simplicity of fabrication of polymeric components (lm and bres) with luminescence characteristics and tunable mechanical properties. 9,10 Classic strategies for the preparation of AIE-HBP use either direct polymerization or post-functionalization.…”

“…10,11 Compared to small or low molecular weight AIE molecules, AIE-HBP displays more prominent advantages, including variation in structure and properties and simplicity of fabrication of polymeric components (lm and bres) with luminescence characteristics and tunable mechanical properties. 9,10 Classic strategies for the preparation of AIE-HBP use either direct polymerization or post-functionalization. [11][12][13] Unlike direct polymerization, where AIE molecules incorporate the polymer structure as monomers, post-functionalization mainly involves modication into polymers as pendant groups or graed side chains.…”

“…13,14 Of particular interest, control of gelation during the direct polymerization process as well as the solubility of conjugated polymers with hyper-branched architecture remains challenging. 9,10 On the other hand, the post-functionalization of HBPs via the formation of side chains or pendant groups may result in a greater particle size. It appears that the host-guest interaction approach specically via the formation of hydrogen bonds is an effective strategy for preparing luminescent HBPs.…”

Surface-grafted polyacrylonitrile brushes with aggregation-induced emission properties

“…14,15 Polymers containing AIE-gens have recently emerged as a straightforward approach to introduce AIE properties in films, fibres, composites as well as more sophisticated polymer architectures. [16][17][18] Typically, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) or reversible addition fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization with AIE-gen-modified initiators [19][20][21][22] or monomers 23,24 are used to incorporate AIE-gens in the polymer chain.…”