1. Force-Induced Near-Infrared Chromism of Mechanophore-Linked Polymers
- Author
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Qingkai Qi, Jan Scrimgeour, Xiaocun Lu, Nnamdi M. Ofodum, Xiaogang Liu, Tianruo Shen, Costel C. Darie, Richard Chandradat, Madhuri Jayathirtha, Devon A. Shipp, Mario Wriedt, Monu Joy, and Gaganjot Sekhon
- Subjects
chemistry.chemical_classification ,General Chemistry ,Polymer ,Photochemistry ,Biochemistry ,Fluorescence ,Catalysis ,Gel permeation chromatography ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Colloid and Surface Chemistry ,chemistry ,Chromism ,Moiety ,Cyanine ,Absorption (chemistry) ,Methyl acrylate - Abstract
A near-infrared (NIR) mechanophore was developed and incorporated into a poly(methyl acrylate) chain to showcase the first force-induced NIR chromism in polymeric materials. This mechanophore, based on benzo[1,3]oxazine (OX) fused with a heptamethine cyanine moiety, exhibited NIR mechanochromism in solution, thin-film, and bulk states. The mechanochemical activity was validated using UV-vis-NIR absorption/fluorescence spectroscopies, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), NMR, and DFT simulations. Our work demonstrates that NIR mechanochromic polymers have considerable potential in mechanical force sensing, damage detection, bioimaging, and biomechanics.
- Published
- 2021