Aggregation‐induced emission polymer systems with circularly polarized luminescence

Abstract

Abstract Functional materials with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) have attracted tremendous attention due to their promising applications in three‐dimensional displays, chiral recognition and catalysis, photoelectronic devices, contrast imaging, information encryption, and other fields. Among various CPL‐active materials, polymeric systems with aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) have emerged as excellent candidates because of their efficient aggregate‐state fluorescence, large solid‐state dissymmetry factor, excellent processibility, diversified self‐assembly behaviors, and readily switchable CPL properties. This review summarizes and discusses the recent progress as well as future perspective of diverse AIE polymer systems with CPL, including CPL‐active covalent AIE polymers, CPL‐active supramolecular AIE polymers, and AIEgen/polymer composites with CPL. According to the location or introduction method of AIEgen in polymer structures, this review further divides CPL‐active covalent AIE polymers into three categories, including polymers with AIEgen in main chains, polymers with AIEgen in side chains, and CPL‐active polymers with clusterization‐triggered emission. CPL‐active supramolecular AIE polymers are discussed based on the driving force for the formation of supramolecular polymers, including host–guest interactions, metal coordination, and other non‐covalent interactions. Moreover, examples on the construction of CPL‐active AIEgen/polymer composites by physically mixing AIEgens with chiral (supra)polymers are also presented. This review is anticipated to provide readers with an overall view on the design strategies of CPL‐active AIE polymers, and facilitate further research on the development of CPL materials and AIE polymers with advanced applications.

Keywords

• aggregation‐induced emission
• chiral polymers
• circularly polarized luminescence
• fluorescent polymer systems