Diverse diarylacetonitrile radicals were generated by polymeric mechanochemical reactions. Fluorescence wavelengths could be tuned by changing the substituents on the aromatic rings of the generated radicals.
Sacrificial bond cleavage in double-network elastomers was visualized by adding a diarylacetonitrile derivative as a radical-transfer-type fluorescent molecular probe.
This study unveils a direct covalent bond cleavage mode within polymer chains for a unified and enhanced understanding of both electrostatic charges and mechanoradicals generated via contact electrification for ultrahigh charge density.
Double-network (DN) gels are unique mechanochemical materials owing to their structures that can be dynamically remodelled during use.
A conformational motif called “node” was identified, and molecules with it were studied using EX-AFIR and NNP methods. The results guided the experimental design of thermostable, self-strengthening materials.