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Picchi A, Wang Q, Ventura F, Micheletti C, Heijkoop J, Picchioni F, Ciofini I, Adamo C, Pucci A. Effect of Polymer Composition on the Optical Properties of a New Aggregation-Induced Emission Fluorophore: A Combined Experimental and Computational Approach. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:3530. [PMID: 37688156 PMCID: PMC10489943 DOI: 10.3390/polym15173530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, fluorophores with a tetraphenylethylene (TPE) core are considered interesting due to the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) behavior that enables their effective use in polymer films. We propose a novel TPE fluorophore (TPE-BPAN) bearing two dimethylamino push and a 4-biphenylacetonitrile pull moieties with the typical AIE characteristics in solution and in the solid state, as rationalized by DFT calculations. Five different host polymer matrices with different polarity have been selected: two homopolymers of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate) (PCHMA) and three copolymers at different compositions (P(MMA-co-CHMA) 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75 mol%). The less polar comonomer of CHMA appeared to enhance TPE-BPAN emission with the highest quantum yield (QY) of about 40% measured in P(MMA-co-CHMA) 75:25. Further reduction in polymer polarity lowered QY and decreased the film stability and adhesion to the glass surface. LSC performances were not significantly affected by the matrix's polarity and resulted in around one-third of the state-of-the-art due to the reduced QY of TPE-BPAN. The theoretical investigation based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations clarified the origin of the observed AIE and the role played by the environment in modulating the photophysical behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Picchi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.P.); (C.M.); (F.V.)
| | - Qinfan Wang
- Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences (i-CLeHS), École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, PSL Research University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), FRE2027, 11, rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005 Paris, France; (Q.W.); (I.C.)
| | - Francesco Ventura
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.P.); (C.M.); (F.V.)
| | - Cosimo Micheletti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.P.); (C.M.); (F.V.)
| | - Jesse Heijkoop
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Product Technology, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; (J.H.); (F.P.)
| | - Francesco Picchioni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Product Technology, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; (J.H.); (F.P.)
| | - Ilaria Ciofini
- Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences (i-CLeHS), École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, PSL Research University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), FRE2027, 11, rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005 Paris, France; (Q.W.); (I.C.)
| | - Carlo Adamo
- Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences (i-CLeHS), École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, PSL Research University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), FRE2027, 11, rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005 Paris, France; (Q.W.); (I.C.)
| | - Andrea Pucci
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.P.); (C.M.); (F.V.)
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