AUTHOR=Ma Chunping , Li Zhiyi , Zhang Chenglin , Xie Gaoyi , Wu Yancheng , Zhang Yangfan , Mo Jinpeng , Liu Xi , Wang Ke , Xie Dong , Li Yang 

TITLE=Design and Synthesis of AIE-Based Small-Molecule and Nanofibrous Film for Fluorescent Sensing Application

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2021.727631

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2021.727631

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=Fluorescent sensors that are responded to environmental conditions (temperature, pressure, pH) have attracted widespread attention in recent years. Generally, traditional solid-state fluorescent materials tend to suffer aggregation-induced quenching (ACQ) and difficulty of film-forming, which limits its extensive applications. Therefore, researchers are focusing more and more attention on fluorescent sensors with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effects. Herein, we report an AIE molecule (TPEBZMZ) containing tetraphenylethylene (TPE) and benzimidazole fragments. The fluorescence properties of TPEBZMZ in solution and aggregation states have been investigated, and the luminescence performances and aggregation structures of solid-state TPEBZMZ after force and acid treatments have been explored. These results show obvious AIE and fluorescent sensing properties of TPEBZMZ, presenting force- and acid-induced discolorations. Moreover, the TPEBZMZ based fluorescent nanofibrous film is fabricated by electrospinning the solution of TPEBZMZ blended with polylactic acid (PLA), which shows a good nanofiber film structure and exhibits reversible acid-induced discoloration property, even with only 0.5 wt% TPEBZMZ. This work provides a simple strategy to achieve stimulus-responsive fluorescent film.