在过去的一百年里,高分子科学取得了巨大的发展。高分子科学的发展与表征技术和方法的发展密切相关,从分子量测定中的粘度测定法到包括差示扫描量热法在内的先进技术,核磁共振,和扫描电子显微镜。然而,这些技术通常局限于繁琐的样品制备,高成本,苛刻的实验条件,或异位表征。荧光技术具有灵敏度高、可视化直观等优点。与常规引起聚集的猝灭荧光团相反,那些具有聚集诱导发射(AIE)特性的染料在聚集状态下显示出高发射效率。基于AIE性质的分子内运动的限制,由于扭曲的螺旋桨状结构,AIE材料对周围的微环境非常敏感,因此在聚合物研究中具有巨大的潜力。AIE概念已成功用于聚合物科学,并提供了对聚合物结构和性能的更深入的了解。在这次审查中,AIEgens在聚合物科学中可视化聚合的应用,玻璃化转变,溶出度,结晶,凝胶化,自组装,相分离,cracking,和自我修复的例子和总结。最后,解决了使用AIEgens研究聚合物科学的挑战和观点。
The past one hundred years have witnessed the great development of polymer science. The advancement of polymer science is closely related with the development of characterization techniques and methods, from viscometry in molecular weight determination to advanced techniques including differential scanning calorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning electron microscopy. However, these techniques are normally constrained to tedious sample preparation, high costs, harsh experimental conditions, or ex situ characterization. Fluorescence technology has the merits of high sensitivity and direct visualization. Contrary to conventional aggregation-causing quenching fluorophores, those dyes with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics show high emission efficiency in aggregate states. Based on the restriction of intramolecular motions for AIE properties, the AIE materials are very sensitive to the surrounding microenvironments owing to the twisted propeller-like structures and therefore offer great potential in the
study of polymers. The AIE concept has been successfully used in polymer science and provides a deeper understanding on polymer structure and properties. In this review, the applications of AIEgens in polymer science for visualizing polymerization, glass transition, dissolution, crystallization, gelation, self-assembly, phase separation, cracking, and self-healing are exemplified and summarized. Lastly, the challenges and perspectives in the
study of polymer science using AIEgens are addressed.