Tailoring aggregation-induced emission in luminescent solar concentrators through controlled polymerization

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) offer promising energy conversion. Integrating luminogens into polymer backbones is key for LSC development.
• Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens exhibit unique optical properties beneficial for LSCs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore covalent incorporation of AIE luminogens into polymer backbones for enhanced LSC performance.
• To compare free radical (FR) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization methods for synthesizing AIE-containing copolymers.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of copolymers using methyl-methacrylate and AIE-active tetraphenyl ethylene methacrylate (TPEMA) monomer.
• Utilized both FR and RAFT polymerization techniques.
• Fabrication and performance evaluation of LSC devices based on synthesized copolymers.

Main Results:

• RAFT polymerization yielded copolymers with improved thermal stability, higher glass transition temperature, and narrower molecular weight distribution.
• Optical properties of RAFT copolymers showed positive scaling with TPEMA content.
• RAFT-based LSC devices demonstrated more consistent and superior performance compared to FR analogues.

Conclusions:

• Controlled RAFT polymerization is crucial for optimizing AIEgen response and LSC device behavior.
• Strategic incorporation of AIEgens into polymer matrices via controlled synthesis enhances LSC performance.
• This work presents an effective strategy for developing advanced luminescent polymer materials for LSCs.