Supramolecular Polymer-Based Fluorescent Microfibers for Switchable Optical Waveguides.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Supramolecular polymers offer tunable properties through non-covalent interactions.
• Optical waveguides are crucial components in photonic devices.
• Developing materials with switchable optical properties is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the first instance of switchable optical waveguide microfibers based on fluorescent supramolecular polymers.
• To investigate the optical properties and light propagation characteristics of these novel microfibers.
• To demonstrate the light-responsive switching capability of the supramolecular polymeric waveguides.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of pillar[5]arene-based supramolecular polymeric microfibers from host-guest complexes.
• Characterization of optical properties, including propagation distance and optical loss.
• Incorporation of photoresponsive guests to achieve switchable optical waveguide behavior.
• Testing the fatigue resistance of the switchable waveguides over multiple cycles.

Main Results:

• Supramolecular polymeric microfibers exhibited efficient light propagation with a low optical loss of 0.01 dB/μm.
• The incorporation of a photoresponsive guest (GDTE) enabled switchable optical waveguide functionality.
• Switching was controlled noninvasively using UV/vis light.
• The switchable waveguides demonstrated negligible fatigue over four cycles.
• The preparation method was also applicable to quadruple-hydrogen-bonded fluorescent supramolecular polymers with good light propagation (0.02 dB/μm loss).

Conclusions:

• Fluorescent supramolecular polymers can be fabricated into effective optical waveguide microfibers.
• The optical waveguide properties are switchable upon external light stimuli, offering dynamic control.
• These materials present a promising platform for developing advanced, light-controlled photonic devices.