Design strategies of tunable visible-NIR mechanochromism in polymeric materials Xiaocun Lu Clarkson University, USA Mechanochromism is an intrinsic feature of unique mechanoresponsive materials, which have received considerable attention in various applications, such as force mapping, biomimicry materials, biomedical devices, soft robotics, and flexible electronics. Mechanophores are a class of mechanically-sensitive molecular units that undergo mechanically-triggered chemical transformations, such as color changes, small molecule release, and molecular rearrangement. Mechanophores could be incorporated into polymeric materials to show mechanical sensitivity on the molecular level. The covalent bonding between mechanophores and polymer backbones reduces potential compatibility issues compared to polymer composites. Polymer mechanochromism has been primarily limited to the visible spectrum. Compared to near-infrared (NIR) luminescence, the visible light has much less penetration depth and more energy loss during its propagation in polymeric materials. However, it is challenging to develop NIR mechanophores due to unfeasible synthetic routes, reduced stability, and luminescent quenching. My presentation will highlight a unique and elaborate design to extend polymer mechanochromism to the NIR regime with tunable luminescence wavelength. Two design strategies will be discussed, focusing on the screening and selection of mechanically-gated molecular switches combined with tunable visible-NIR chromophores. Research and engineering perspectives of tunable mechanophores in a wide visible-NIR spectrum will also be discussed, including their potential in mechanics sensing, self-healing materials, bioimaging, and biomechanics.
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