A novel strong AIE bi-component hydrogel as a multi-functional supramolecular fluorescent material

• Published in: Dyes and pigments 2019-12, Vol.171, p.107745, Article 107745
• Main Authors: Yang, Hai-Long, Zhang, Qin-Peng, Zhang, You-Ming, Gong, Guan-Fei, Chen, Yan-Yan, Qi-Zhou, Yao, Hong, Wei, Tai-Bao, Lin, Qi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aggregation induced emission (AIE); Bi-component hydrogel; Detection and separation; Logic gate; Multi-functional; Supramolecular fluorescent material
• ISSN: 0143-7208; 1873-3743
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2019.107745

Multi-functional supramolecular fluorescent materials are an intriguing concern for materials science. Herein, an easily prepared bi-component hydrogel with strong aggregation-induced emission (AIE) (MQ-G) was successfully constructed by the gelators naphthalimide derivative (M) and tri-(pyridine-4-yl)-functionalized trimesic amide (Q) in DMSO-H2O (6 : 4, v/v) via π−π, hydrogen bond and π−electron donor-acceptor interactions. The obtained bi-component hydrogel MQ-G has an excellent self-healing property. Interestingly, the MQ-G exhibits strong orange AIE, the fluorescence quantum yield of the MQ-G was measured as 0.578. Moreover, the MQ-G could successively sense Fe3+ and H2PO4− in water through a fluorescent “ON-OFF-ON” pathway, which suggests the MQ-G could serve as an “ON-OFF-ON” fluorescent material and efficient logic gate. Meanwhile, the xerogel of MQ-G is capable of removing Fe3+ at an adsorption rate of 99.74% in diluted aqueous solution. Moreover, the thin films based on the MQ-G and MQ-G + Fe3+ were also prepared, which could not only act as supramolecular fluorescent material but a simple and efficient tool for detection Fe3+ and H2PO4−, respectively. [Display omitted] •A novel multi-functional AIE bi-component hydrogel (MQ-G) was constructed.•The MQ-G shows self-healing property and high fluorescent quantum yield (Φ = 0.578).•The MQ-G could successively sense Fe3+ and H2PO4− in water.•Fe3+ could be removed by MQ-G from water (removal rate is 99.72%).•The MQ-G could serve as fluorescent display material, logic gate and ions test tool.