The Marriage of Aggregation‐Induced Emission with Polymer Science

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. e1800568 - n/a
• Main Authors: Qiu, Zijie, Liu, Xiaolin, Lam, Jacky W. Y., Tang, Ben Zhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2019
• Subjects: Agglomeration; aggregation‐induced emission; Chemical synthesis; Fluorescent Dyes - chemical synthesis; Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry; functional polymers; Light emission; Luminescence; Mechanical properties; Organic chemistry; physical blending; Polymerization; Polymers; Polymers - chemical synthesis; Polymers - chemistry; Supramolecular polymers; chemical synthesis; aggregation-induced emission; functional polymers; physical blending
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.201800568

Aggregation‐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. Aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) polymeric materials can be prepared through chemical or physical approaches. Various kinds of AIE polymers, such as covalently bonded polymers, supramolecular polymers, and nonconjugated luminescent polymers, can be obtained by chemical synthesis. AIE luminogens can also be physically blended into polymer materials as fluorescent probes, whose emission intensity or wavelength change can reveal the subtle variation of the matrix.