Sensitive Mechanofluorochromic Carbon Dot-Based AIEgens: Promising Reporting Components for Self-Sensing Plastics

Mechanofluorochromic carbon dot-based aggregation-induced emission luminogens (M-CD-AIEgens) are attracting much attention because of their many potential practical applications. However, the mechanofluorochromic response of current M-CD-AIEgens only occurs under high pressure, which greatly hinders their practical applications. To overcome this shortcoming, more pressure-sensitive M-CD-AIEgens are now developed, which show approximately fivefold enhancement of photoluminescence quantum yield after grinding. This enhancement of photoluminescence is attributed to the weakening of π–π stacking interactions between the carbon dots, which is caused by the grinding process. To illustrate a potential application of their interesting properties, M-CD-AIEgens are incorporated into a poly( e -caprolactone) matrix to prepare self-sensing sustainable plastics, which are able to dynamically sense the external pressure distribution when subjected to strain.