AIEgen containing side-chain liquid crystalline polymers: Photoluminecence or photothermal, which dominate?

Lei Tao; He-Lou Xie; Xin Qi; Jun Song; Hong Xin; Zhen-Qiang Yu

doi:10.1007/s12274-022-4603-0

Nano Research 2022, 15(10): 9334-9340 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4603-0

Research Article | Issue | Published: 12 July 2022

AIEgen containing side-chain liquid crystalline polymers: Photoluminecence or photothermal, which dominate?

Show Author's Information Hide Author's Information Lei Tao^{¹^,²}, He-Lou Xie^³(

), Xin Qi^¹, Jun Song^², Hong Xin^¹(

), Zhen-Qiang Yu^{¹^,²}(

)

1College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Low-dimensional Materials Genome Initiative, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China

2Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518071, China

3Key Lab of Environment-friendly Chemistry and Application in Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China

Keywords:

photothermal conversion, luminescent liquid crystalline polymers, dicyanodistyrylbenzene, smectic A structure, alkyl tail dependence

Topics:

Emission spectroscopy Fluorescence spectroscopy Organic polymers Photoluminescence X-ray diffraction

Cite this article:

Tao L, Xie H-L, Qi X, et al. AIEgen containing side-chain liquid crystalline polymers: Photoluminecence or photothermal, which dominate?. Nano Research, 2022, 15(10): 9334-9340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4603-0

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Abstract

Why many luminescent liquid crystalline polymers (LLCPs) containing aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) show weak emission is a question still to be answered. Herein, a series of LLCPs (α-Pns, n = 4, 8, and 12) with polynorbornene as main chain and two α-dicyanodistyrylbenzene (α-DCS) as side chain are successfully synthesized to solve this issue. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light microscopy (PLM), one-dimentional (1D), two-dimentional (2D) middle-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering (MAXS and WAXS) results demonstrate that the polymers form smectic A (SmA) phase with the side chains interdigitated packed within the smectic layers. Meanwhile, the photophysical properties of α-Pns were investigated by ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption, steady state and time-resolved spectroscopy, and photothermal effect. Results show that the polymers are AIE active, but emit weak emission. The emission peak of α-Pns film red-shift from 473 to 531 nm, the quantum yield gradually increases from around 1.6% to 14.7%, and the photothermal conversion efficiency decreases from 39% to 19% with the alkyl tail length increased. The photothermal effect, but not photoluminescence, dominates the excited state relaxation.

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About this article

AIEgen containing side-chain liquid crystalline polymers: Photoluminecence or photothermal, which dominate?

Show Author's information Hide Author's Information Lei Tao^{¹^,²}, He-Lou Xie^³(

), Xin Qi^¹, Jun Song^², Hong Xin^¹(

), Zhen-Qiang Yu^{¹^,²}(

)

1College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Low-dimensional Materials Genome Initiative, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China

2Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518071, China

3Key Lab of Environment-friendly Chemistry and Application in Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China

Abstract

Keywords: photothermal conversion, luminescent liquid crystalline polymers, dicyanodistyrylbenzene, smectic A structure, alkyl tail dependence

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Publication history

Received: 28 April 2022

Revised: 27 May 2022

Accepted: 28 May 2022

Published: 12 July 2022

Issue date: October 2022

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Nos. 21875143, 21674065, and 21975215), the Innovation Research Foundation of Shenzhen (Nos. SGG20190222175202275, JCYJ20180507182229597, and JCYJ20180305125649693), and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (No. 2016A030312002). Special thanks go to the Instrumental Analysis Center of Shenzhen University (Lihu Campus).