AIE gel exhibiting continuous gradient fluorescence based on a polar‐responsive AIE‐gen
Ziqing Hu, Hanwei Zhang, Hui Liu, Jinsa Li, Xiaofan Ji, Ben Zhong Tang
Abstract
Abstract Traditional multicolor fluorescent hydrogels are generated through the assembly of discrete fluorescent hydrogels, which is not a complete integration much distinct from living organisms. On the basis of aggregation‐induced emission (AIE), a special solvent polar‐responsive AIE molecule possessing a twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) effect was noticed. By incorporating it into the gel network, an AIE gel that displays continuous gradient fluorescence was fabricated. First, hydrogel A containing the solvent polar‐responsive AIE‐gen was prepared to show orange fluorescence. After soaking in the organic solvents, the fluorescence color transition of hydrogel A ranging from orange to green occurred when being immersed in high‐polarity organic solvents ascribed to the embedded AIE‐gen owning TICT effect. Then, hydrogel A was successively lifted up from organic solvents. Due to the different immersion time of each section for the hydrogel, the polarity difference occurred. Then, the produced gel B showed continuous gradient fluorescence ranging from orange to green under the irradiation of UV light.