Cucurbit[7]Uril‐Based Self‐Assembled Supramolecular Complex with Reversible Multistimuli‐Responsive Chromic Behavior and Controllable Fluorescence
Xiao‐Feng Wang, Rui‐Lian Lin, Wen‐Qi Sun, Jing‐Xin Liu, Lixin Xu, Carl Redshaw, Xing Feng
Abstract
Abstract Multistimuli‐responsive color‐changing materials have potential applications in areas such as chemical sensing and anti‐counterfeiting. In this work, a fluoro‐phenyl‐acetyl‐substituted viologen derivative (FPAV·Cl 2 ) is synthesized, which can form a supramolecular inclusion complex with cucurbit[7]uril (Q[7]) via self‐assembly. Significantly, the resulting inclusion complex FPAV 2+ @Q[7] in the solid‐state exhibits visual color changes in response to multiple external stimuli including light, heat, and vapors of ammonia and organic amines. The electron spin resonance (ESR) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectra analysis reveals that the photochromic, thermochromic, and vapochromic behavior of FPAV 2+ @Q[7] is due to the generation of FPAV +• free radicals resulting from electron transfer. Furthermore, in the solid‐state, FPAV 2+ @Q[7] shows controllable fluorescence regulated by its chromic process. Based on the multi stimuli‐responsive color‐changes and fluorescence properties of FPAV 2+ @Q[7], its practical applications in erasable inkless printing, multiple anti‐counterfeiting processes, visible ammonia/organic amines detection, and information encryption are demonstrated. The supramolecular strategy of encapsulating viologen derivatives into macrocycles provides a general method for fabricating multi stimuli‐responsive chromic materials with multiple practical applications.