Core-Shell Fluorescent Polymeric Particles with Tunable White Light Emission Based on Aggregation Microenvironment Manipulation

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2021 Nov 22;60(48):25246-25251. doi: 10.1002/anie.202110180. Epub 2021 Oct 22.

Abstract

White-light emitting polymers (WLEPs) based on aggregation microenvironment-sensitive aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) have aroused great interest in lighting and optoelectronic devices. Herein, we developed a novel strategy to construct WLEP particles via a stepwise self-stabilized precipitation polymerization of two emission-complementary AIEgens under core-shell engineering, where the AIE characteristics and FRET process of core-shell fluorescent polymeric particles (CS-FPPs) could be modulated by altering aggregation microenvironment under swelling and shrinking of polymers, facilitating the tunable white light emission of CS-FPPs. Furthermore, such tuning could be fast realized in the solid state, thus demonstrating the potential in anti-counterfeiting. This work proved the significance of aggregation microenvironment on emission of luminogens, guiding the development of high-efficiency emission-tunable materials.

Keywords: FRET; aggregation microenvironment; aggregation-induced emission; core-shell engineering; white light emission.