Spatially Encoding Fluorescence by Tailoring Clustering-Triggered Emission in Polymer Networks
- 1Faculty of Science and Engineering, Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands, 9747 AG
- 2Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, 35 Ivy Lane, Princeton, New Jersey, United States, 08540
Abstract
Spatially programmable fluorescence has widespread potential for display, sensing and security applications, but current patterning strategies remain primarily limited to simple binary systems or methods that require locally varied chemical composition. The design of electron-rich clusters allows for a direct and facile method to induce controlled clusteroluminescence. However, achieving the necessary control over intermolecular interactions has required the design of polymers with new backbones or end groups, limiting the opportunity to spatially vary the luminescence. In this study, intermolecular interactions and therefore fluorescent emission are controlled in a single step by the photopolymerization of a methacrylate-based monomer system. The emission wavelength and intensity can be facilely tuned by varying the crosslinking density within the polymer, and further modulated through processing parameters, such as irradiation time and intensity. Moreover, the monomer system can be integrated within a multimaterial direct-ink writing setup. By selectively depositing monomer mixtures with different crosslinker concentration, structures can be printed with locally-controlled emission for patterned fluorescence images. Achieving the spatial encoding of clusteroluminescence with an approach generalizable for a broad range of monomers allows for design of new polymer-based optical devices with complex photonic responses.
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BibTeX
@misc{chan2026spatially,
title = {{Spatially Encoding Fluorescence by Tailoring Clustering-Triggered Emission in Polymer Networks}},
author = {Chun Lam Clement Chan and Phoebe A. Lowy and Emily C. Davidson and Michael Markus Lerch},
howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15010598/v1},
url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010598/v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Spatially Encoding Fluorescence by Tailoring Clustering-Triggered Emission in Polymer Networks
AU - Chun Lam Clement Chan
AU - Phoebe A. Lowy
AU - Emily C. Davidson
AU - Michael Markus Lerch
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
PB - ChemRxiv
DO - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15010598/v1
UR - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010598/v1
AB - Spatially programmable fluorescence has widespread potential for display, sensing and security applications, but current patterning strategies remain primarily limited to simple binary systems or methods that require locally varied chemical composition. The design of electron-rich clusters allows for a direct and facile method to induce controlled clusteroluminescence. However, achieving the necessary control over intermolecular interactions has required the design of polymers with new backbones or end groups, limiting the opportunity to spatially vary the luminescence. In this study, intermolecular interactions and therefore fluorescent emission are controlled in a single step by the photopolymerization of a methacrylate-based monomer system. The emission wavelength and intensity can be facilely tuned by varying the crosslinking density within the polymer, and further modulated through processing parameters, such as irradiation time and intensity. Moreover, the monomer system can be integrated within a multimaterial direct-ink writing setup. By selectively depositing monomer mixtures with different crosslinker concentration, structures can be printed with locally-controlled emission for patterned fluorescence images. Achieving the spatial encoding of clusteroluminescence with an approach generalizable for a broad range of monomers allows for design of new polymer-based optical devices with complex photonic responses.
ER -