Recent progress in the mechanofluorochromism of distyrylanthracene derivatives with aggregation-induced emission

Mechanofluorochromic (MFC) luminogens, as a group of evidence-based, practical smart materials, have established immense interest with respect to mechanical stimuli, due to their promising applications in various fields like mechanosensors, safety papers, and optical storage. However, MFC luminogens were rare earlier than 2010. After the discovery that MFC is an essential unique feature of aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active molecules in 2011, researchers are encouraged to pay more attentions toward MCF luminogens, in which field the investigations are hastened steadily and focused distinctly. As one of the most vital AIE cores, distyrylanthracene (DSA) has been extensively used to assemble MFC motifs. As part of the interest in MFC luminogens, this contemporary overview is targeted on recent advances in the mechanofluorochromism of DSA derivatives with AIE properties and mechanistic study, which encourages more researchers to dedicate themselves to this interesting exploration discipline.