Rapid Fabrication of Photoluminescent Electrospun Nanofibers without the Need of Chemical Polymeric Backbone Modifications

Abstract

Photoluminescent electrospun nanofibers were fabricated by incorporating a cyclopentadiene derivative AIE-active luminogen within the polymeric matrices of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), poly(vinylidene fluoride)-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP), and poly(methylacrylate) (PMMA) under different solvents. Raman, infrared, and fluorescence spectroscopy showed the molecular integrity of the AIEgen is maintained during the electrospinning process while exhibiting a strong and uniformed phosphorescent radiative pathway of τaverage = 8.9 μs. This method allows for the rapid fabrication of photoluminescent nanofibers into a wide range of polymeric matrices without the need of chemical modifications. Taken together, the prepared electrospun phosphorescent nanofibers are a stepping stone for AIEgens to be applied in the digital manufacturing and design of smart textiles.

Emergence of Structural Phosphorescence in Free-Standing, Laterally Organized Polymer Nanofiber Membranes

“…10 However, the emergence of emission from long-lived states in closely interacting systems typically occurs due to the presence of a delocalized exciton. 11 Delocalized excitons may be a trapped singlet that has a very long-lived relaxation, 12 a trapped singlet that gives an otherwise dark triplet state a chance to populate, 13 and triplet, 14 or something more exotic, 15 such as the effects observed in natural light-harvesting systems. 16−19 In the case of nanoscale solid-state polymeric structures, three mechanisms tend to dominate if phosphorescence emerges in the nanostructure but is not observed in the unstructured bulk polymer.…”

“…However, the emergence of emission from long-lived states in closely interacting systems typically occurs due to the presence of a delocalized exciton . Delocalized excitons may be a trapped singlet that has a very long-lived relaxation, a trapped singlet that gives an otherwise dark triplet state a chance to populate, an increase in the overlap of the singlet and triplet, or something more exotic, such as the effects observed in natural light-harvesting systems. − …”

Stress‐Induced Structural Phase Transition in Polystyrene/NaYF4: Eu3+ Photoluminescent Electrospun Nanofibers

“…In recent years, the fabrication of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyethylene oxide (PEO), poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyvinylidene difluoride (PVdF), poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), and PS electrospun polymeric light-emitting nanofibers has been studied with different functional additives [7][8][9][10][11]. Herein, polystyrene is considered for the preparation of nonbiodegradable photoluminescent nanofibers using the electrospinning technique.…”

Restriction of Twisted Intramolecular Charge Transfer Enables the Aggregation-Induced Emission of 1-(N,N-Dialkylamino)-naphthalene Derivatives

“…Since its conception and introduction in 2001, understanding the molecular origins and exploring the applications of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) have been attracting considerable research interest. , Because of its remarkable photoluminescence properties in solid and aggregate states, AIEgens have been widely used in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), , electrofluorochromic (EFC) devices, and so forth . AIEgens have also shown promising applications in bioimaging, sensing, and theranostics. − To facilitate the rational design and deployment of AIEgens, several strategies for different families of fluorophores have been proposed and discussed so far. − However, in comparison to ubiquitous synthesis and applications of AIEgens, detailed mechanistic explanations are still lacking in AIE research.…”