Highly Efficient Aggregation-Induced Electrochemiluminescence of Polyfluorene Derivative Nanoparticles Containing Tetraphenylethylene

• Published in: iScience Vol. 23; no. 1; p. 100774
• Main Authors: Ji, Si-Yuan, Zhao, Wei, Gao, Hang, Pan, Jian-Bin, Xu, Cong-Hui, Quan, Yi-Wu, Xu, Jing-Juan, Chen, Hong-Yuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 24.01.2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Molecular Electrochemistry; Nanoparticles; Polymer Chemistry; Nanoparticles; Polymer Chemistry; Molecular Electrochemistry
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.100774

The aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence (AIECL) of polyfluorene derivative nanoparticles containing tetraphenylethylene (TPE) in aqueous media is reported in this work. The TPE unit limits the intramolecular free rotation of phenyl rings, as well as the π-π stacking interactions of molecules, which significantly enhances ECL signal of the polyfluorene nanoparticles. With co-reactants of tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) and S2O82−, the copolymer nanoparticles show visualized ECL emissions at both positive and negative potentials. The ECL efficiency of copolymer nanoparticles in solid state is 163% compared with that of standard ECL species, Ru(bpy)32+. And at negative potential, the ECL intensity of copolymer nanoparticles is even stronger with 6.5 times compared with that at positive potential. The ECL generation mechanisms are analyzed detailed by annihilation and co-reactant route transient ECL test (millisecond scale). This work provides a reference for the organic structure design for AIECL and shows promising potential in luminescent device and biological applications. [Display omitted] •AIECL of polyfluorene nanoparticles containing tetraphenylethylene is reported•TPE unit limits the stacking interactions of the molecular to enhance the ECL intensity•The ECL efficiency of copolymer nanoparticles is higher than that of Ru(bpy)32+•Annihilation and co-reactant transient tests clarified the ECL generation mechanisms Polymer Chemistry; Nanoparticles; Molecular Electrochemistry