A Dihydroazulene-Based Photofluorochromic AIE System for Rewritable 4D Information Encryption

Jianyu Zhang; Hanchen Shen; Xinyue Liu; Xueqin Yang; Søren Lindbaek Broman; Haoran Wang; Qiyao Li; Jacky W Y Lam; Haoke Zhang; Martina Cacciarini; Mogens Brøndsted Nielsen; Ben Zhong Tang

doi:10.1002/anie.202208460

A Dihydroazulene-Based Photofluorochromic AIE System for Rewritable 4D Information Encryption

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2022 Sep 12;61(37):e202208460. doi: 10.1002/anie.202208460. Epub 2022 Aug 3.

Authors

Jianyu Zhang¹, Hanchen Shen¹, Xinyue Liu¹, Xueqin Yang¹, Søren Lindbaek Broman², Haoran Wang¹, Qiyao Li³, Jacky W Y Lam¹, Haoke Zhang^{4

5

6}, Martina Cacciarini⁷, Mogens Brøndsted Nielsen², Ben Zhong Tang^{1

3

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Optoelectronic and Magnetic Functional Materials, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
² Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark.
³ School of Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Aggregate Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China.
⁴ MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
⁵ ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, 311215, China.
⁶ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
⁷ Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3-13, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, 50019, Italy.

PMID: 35841180
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202208460

Abstract

Dynamic patterns based on luminescent materials play an essential role in the digital age. However, it is still challenging to develop highly emissive photofluorochromic materials with dynamic behaviors to store information with multiple characteristics. Here, we report a series of dihydroazulene-based compounds which show typical aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect. Moreover, the photo-switching ability of the dihydroazulene units, undergoing light-induced ring-opening, enables photofluorochromic properties. The photofluorochromism also shows quantitively described responses to time and temperature via a reverse ring-closing process. Ultimately, a rewritable 4D information system, embedded with a quick response code, dot matrix with microstructures, color matrix of fluorescence, and time/temperature-dependent intensity change, is established with dynamic patterns. This work not only develops a dynamic AIE skeleton with photofluorochromic properties but also provides a new strategy for information encryption and cybernetics.

Keywords: Aggregation-Induced Emission; Dihydroazulene Derivative; Dynamic Pattern; Information Encryption; Photofluorochromism.

Abstract

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