Multi‐Stimuli Responsive Thiazolothiazole Viologen‐Containing Poly(2‐Isopropyl‐2‐Oxazoline) and Its Multi‐Modal Thermochromism, Photochromism, Electrochromism, and Solvatofluorochromism Applications

Abstract

Abstract Smart materials are highly desirable over the recent decade due to the growing demand on complicated nature. Smart materials with stable stimuli‐responsive properties are widely applied in sensors, smart windows, displays, and chemical valves, but they are relatively rare. Most of the current chromic materials are triggered by one or two external stimuli, and only a few multi‐stimuli responsive instances still suffer by their restricting functional states, such as solution or polymer. To address these challenges, researchers are focusing their efforts on developing a new generation of multi‐stimulus responsive chromic materials. In this article, our group has adopted a new strategy for the synthesis of the multi‐stimuli responsive single polymeric material, which can be useful for different applications (such as thermochromism, photochromism, electrochromism, and solvatofluorochromism). Thiazolothiazole viologen (TTv)‐containing poly(2‐isopropyl‐2‐oxazoline) (PiPO) was synthesized using a one‐pot reaction where the living cationic polymer chains were reacted with thiazolothiazole viologen to produce multi‐stimuli responsive PiPO‐TTv. PiPO‐TTv‐based device demonstrated multi‐responsive properties due to the thermoresponsive properties of PiPO segments and photo‐, electro‐responsive properties of TTv monomer, respectively. PiPO‐TTv material, additionally exhibits fluorescence characteristics that makes it appealing for environmental and molecular biological sensor applications.

Keywords

• biological sensor
• multi‐stimuli material
• single molecule
• smart window