A Versatile Strategy for Multi-Stimuli-Responsive Fluorescent Material Based on Cross-Linking-Induced Emission: Applications in Encryption

A versatile strategy for smart fluorescent materials is lacking due to their diverse responding mechanisms and incompatibility of responsive behaviors. Herein an adaptable strategy is presented toward a multi-stimuli-responsive fluorescent material with stageby-stage responsive behavior by blending linear polymers modified with different stimulus-responsive moieties and AIE cross-linker. Under stimuli, the linear polymer can cross-link with the cross-linker to form networks, which intrinsically restrict the intramolecular rotation of the AIE molecule to induce strong emission. A unified stimuli-responsive mechanism is involved in that various stimuli are transferred through the organized stimulus-crosslink-emission process. This strategy ensures the compatibility of different stimuli-responses and the adjustability of stimulus-response behavioral logic. These multi-stimuli-responsive fluorescent materials exhibited strong accessibility and adaptability for information encryption.

Automated summary

This research presents a versatile strategy for smart fluorescent materials, which can exhibit multi-stimuli-responsive behavior through a stage-by-stage response. The material, composed of blended linear polymers and AIE cross-linkers, forms networks under stimuli and restricts molecular rotation to induce strong emission. This unified stimuli-responsive mechanism ensures compatibility and adjustability of different stimulus-response behaviors.