Two tetraphenylethene-containing coordination polymers for reversible mechanochromism

Abstract

Two fluorescent coordination polymers have been designed and synthesized from a tetraphenylethene (TPE) derivative. These polymers, which can be potentially utilized as mechanical sensors, exhibit reversible mechanochromic luminescence with color changes visible to the naked-eye from blue to green-yellow by grinding or soaking in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) under UV irradiation.