Multistimuli-Responsive, White-Light-Emitting Cyanostilbene-Cored Dendritic Gels

Multistimuli-responsive fluorescent gels have attracted significant interest for their unique photophysical traits and wide potential uses. Designing and synthesizing such materials with aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) activity is both essential and challenging to date. In this work, novel poly(benzyl ether) dendritic organogelators CS-AB₂-G₁ and CS-AB₃-G₁, featuring a central cyanostilbene unit, were rational designed and prepared. These versatile gelators form stable organogels in diverse polar and apolar organic solvents, primarily driven by intermolecular π-π stacking interactions. Notably, they exhibit AIEE, fluorescing weakly in solution but strongly in the gel state. Crucially, the gels display multistimuli responsiveness, undergoing reversible gel-sol transitions upon exposure to temperature changes, light irradiation (targeting the cyanostilbene core), and mechanical shear. Furthermore, an artificial light-harvesting gel system was constructed via supramolecular coassembly of CS-AB₂-G₁ (donor) and Nile red (NiR, acceptor). By tuning the donor-acceptor ratio, the system produced bright white light (CIE 0.32, 0.29). These multifunctional dendritic gels, characterized by their solvent versatility, AIEE, reversible multistimuli responsiveness, and efficient energy transfer, pave the way for novel smart materials in areas including sensing, security inks, and stimuli-responsive devices.