Aggregation-induced emission of tetraphenylethylene in styrene-based polymers

In the present work, the preparation of different styrene-based polymer films containing small amounts of TPE and the evaluation of their photoluminescent behaviour is reported. When TPE is dispersed in a poor solvent or in a glassy PS matrix, the arrested intramolecular rotations of its aryls favour the strong emission of light centred at about 455-460 nm. Conversely, TPE fluorescence significantly weakens to a faint signal when good solvents or viscous but not glassy polymer matrices are used. Near-field optical microscopy correlates the fluorescence behaviour with the different matrix morphologies. These results should be able to be used for developing a new tool for polymer traceability. Tetraphenylethylene (TPE) molecular rotors show brilliant blue emission in a poor solvent or in a glassy styrene-based polymer matrix, where the intramolecular rotations of its aryls result as being completely arrested. TPE fluorescence significantly weakens to pale green and eventually to a faint signal when good solvents or viscous but not glassy polymer matrices are used. This behavior suggests potential benefits in applications such as polymer traceability. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.