Figure 3.4 Fluorescence spectra ( λ _exc = 360 nm) of a 0.01 wt.% of the TPE‐doped SBS film before (draw ratio = 1) and after (draw ratio = 3) uniaxial deformation (drawn) at room temperature and pictures of the same film under the irradiation at 366 nm. A draw ratio of 1 means the pristine undeformed and relaxed film.

This phenomenon was attributed to a combination of effects: the first resides on the film thickness modification upon drawing that, in turn, diminished the concentration of the AIEgen in the longitudinal axis direction of the excited area; the second involves the deaggregation of TPE fluorescent molecules that triggered the reduction of the barrier energy associated with the phenyl ring rotation, thus leading to the drop in the emission intensity. More than that, profiting of the elastomeric features of the SBS matrix, the responsive character was also found to be reversible. The film subjected to several drawing cycles restored its original fluorescence as soon as the mechanical solicitation was stopped. This ON–OFF–ON behavior is visible by the naked eye under the excitation of a UV lamp at 366 nm, thus rendering the TPE‐doped SBS films useful as mechanochromic sensors.

      However, the optical output is characterized by an overall poor contrast since the orientation of the amorphous phase during uniaxial deformation proved to be inadequate for the break‐up of TPE aggregates. In order to overcome this issue, Kokado et al. proposed a new AIE elastomer based on covalently linked TPE molecules to poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) macromolecules [57]. Notably, tetravinyl AIE luminogen based on TPE was actually synthesized and then reacted at different contents (up to 7.8 wt.%) with H‐terminated PDMS via hydrosilylation to obtain AIE‐doped elastomeric polymer films. Those films showed the typical elastomeric behavior as revealed by the tensile test, while the mechanical properties varied in agreement with the chain length of PDMS and crosslinking degree. Covalently bonded polymer–AIE resulted in a better distribution control of the TPE content and increased the phase stability of the AIEgen toward different drawing cycles.

The same approach was also adopted by Tang et al. [58] who covalently incorporated TPE derivatives into polyurethane elastomers for the development of mechanochromic fluorescent materials also characterized by shape memory features. The luminescent polymers were realized by reacting PCL diol (M_n = 4000) with 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) as diisocyanate and chain extender to form a hard segment (about 25%). The TPE–diol was synthesized and directly connected to the polymer backbone at different contents, i.e. from 0.02 to 0.1 wt.%. Polymer films with a thickness of 0.1 mm were then obtained by casting from dimethylformamide (DMF) polymer solutions and solvent evaporation at 70 °C for 12 hours. As analogously reported in TPE/SBS blend films, the emission green band around 479 nm experienced a strong decrease in intensity with the progression of the uniaxial film deformation up to 213%. The fluorescence drop was also accompanied by a slight original blue‐shift from 479 to 468 nm after stretching. All these phenomena were addressed to morphological changes of TPE aggregates; AIEgen supramolecular arrangements were basically caused to deaggregate to some degree during the stretching process. The emission intensity of polymer films is notably sensitive to mechanical stretching until a shape fixity of 100%, and the phenomenon was also clearly visible by the naked eye under the excitation with a long‐range UV light.

A more intriguing and effective solution for the preparation of high‐contrast mechanochromic fluorescent sensors based on the OFF–ON mechanism was then proposed by Moore et al. who took advantages of the core–shell microcapsule technology [59]. This strategy relies on a one‐component design, whose mechanochromic fluorescent response is not provided by the perturbation of the intermolecular interactions but based on the encapsulation chemistry. This approach was reported as highly accessible for a variety of systems due to the facile incorporation of AIEgen‐containing microcapsules into polymeric materials. Core–shell microcapsules were prepared according to a single‐batch in situ emulsification condensation polymerization method [60–63]. Specifically, a nonfluorescent 1 wt.% solution of TPE solution in hexyl acetate was encapsulated into double‐walled polyurethane/poly(urea‐formaldehyde) microcapsules with a diameter of 112 ± 10 μm and characterized by a thermal stability up to 220 °C. Transparent epoxy coatings incorporating 10 wt.% of TPE microcapsules were prepared by conventional chemical methods, and no emission (OFF state) emerged from the pristine material under a long‐range UV lamp. After the mechanical damage of the surface of the doped epoxy resin by means of a razor blade, the rupture of the microcapsules occurs, thus releasing the encapsulated solution around the failure. The aggregation of TPE molecules occurs after solvent evaporation and is flanked by the rapid emersion of the typical fluorescence at about 450 nm, whose maximum was reached after five minutes. The phenomenon was clearly visible under exposure to UV light and was addressed by stereomicroscopy and control experiments to the fluorescence response of individually broken microcapsules (Figure 3.5). Since the area outside of the solicitation maintains its OFF state, excellent resolution and image contrast were obtained and with a fluorescence intensity that accordingly depends on the TPE concentration and incorporation of more microcapsules. This feature also allowed for a quantitative assessment of the extent of the mechanical solicitation.