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

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry

Background:

• Multistimuli-responsive fluorescent gels are of significant interest due to their unique photophysical properties and potential applications.
• Designing materials with aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) is crucial yet challenging for developing advanced fluorescent systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel poly(benzyl ether) dendritic organogelators with AIEE activity.
• To investigate the gelation behavior, stimuli-responsive properties, and light-harvesting capabilities of these new materials.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of poly(benzyl ether) dendritic organogelators (CS-AB2-G1 and CS-AB3-G1) featuring a cyanostilbene core.
• Characterization of organogel formation in various solvents, driven by intermolecular π-π stacking.
• Evaluation of stimuli-responsive behaviors (temperature, light, mechanical shear) and AIEE properties.
• Construction and analysis of a supramolecular light-harvesting system using donor-acceptor coassembly.

Main Results:

• The synthesized organogelators form stable gels in diverse solvents, exhibiting AIEE (weak fluorescence in solution, strong in gel state).
• The gels demonstrate reversible gel-sol transitions in response to temperature, light, and mechanical shear.
• A supramolecular system coassembled from CS-AB2-G1 and Nile red efficiently produced bright white light by tuning the donor-acceptor ratio.

Conclusions:

• Novel dendritic organogelators with AIEE and multistimuli responsiveness were successfully synthesized.
• These materials offer solvent versatility, efficient energy transfer, and tunable light emission.
• The developed multifunctional gels hold potential for applications in sensing, security inks, and stimuli-responsive devices.