Highly Efficient Aggregation-Induced Electrochemiluminescence of Polyfluorene Derivative Nanoparticles Containing Tetraphenylethylene
Si-Yuan Ji,
Wei Zhao,
Hang Gao,
Jian-Bin Pan,
Cong-Hui Xu,
Yi-Wu Quan,
Jing-Juan Xu,
Hong-Yuan Chen
Affiliations
Si-Yuan Ji
State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Wei Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Hang Gao
Key Lab of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Jian-Bin Pan
State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Cong-Hui Xu
State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Corresponding author
Yi-Wu Quan
Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials & Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Corresponding author
Jing-Juan Xu
State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Corresponding author
Hong-Yuan Chen
State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Summary: The aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence (AIECL) of polyfluorene derivative nanoparticles containing tetraphenylethylene (TPE) in aqueous media is reported in this work. The TPE unit limits the intramolecular free rotation of phenyl rings, as well as the π-π stacking interactions of molecules, which significantly enhances ECL signal of the polyfluorene nanoparticles. With co-reactants of tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) and S2O82−, the copolymer nanoparticles show visualized ECL emissions at both positive and negative potentials. The ECL efficiency of copolymer nanoparticles in solid state is 163% compared with that of standard ECL species, Ru(bpy)32+. And at negative potential, the ECL intensity of copolymer nanoparticles is even stronger with 6.5 times compared with that at positive potential. The ECL generation mechanisms are analyzed detailed by annihilation and co-reactant route transient ECL test (millisecond scale). This work provides a reference for the organic structure design for AIECL and shows promising potential in luminescent device and biological applications. : Polymer Chemistry; Nanoparticles; Molecular Electrochemistry Subject Areas: Polymer Chemistry, Nanoparticles, Molecular Electrochemistry