Trace Ir(Ⅲ)complex enhanced electrochemiluminescence of AIE-active Pdots in aqueous media

Trace Ir(Ⅲ)complex enhanced aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence(AIECL)of poly-tetraphenylethene(p TPE)in aqueous media was investigated for the first time.The poly-TPE end-capped by Ir(Ⅲ)complex(Ir@p TPE)and its corresponding model polymer poly-TPE(Ph@pTPE)could be synthesized by Suzuki coupling polymerization reaction of 1,2-bis(4-bromophenyl)-1,2-diphenylethene(M-1)with 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-bis(4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)phenyl)ethene(M-2)and the continuous Suzuki coupling end-capped reaction of poly-TPE-pinacol boronate with(pq)2 Ir(pico)Br and bromobenzene,respectively.Subsequently,the corresponding Ir@p TPE Pdots and Ph@p TPE Pdots encapsulated with poly(styrene-co-maleicanhydride)(PSMA)could be obtained by nanoprecipitation method.Compared with Ph@p TPE Pdots,the Ir@p TPE Pdots with a trace amount of Ir(Ⅲ)complex(1.34‰of Ir(Ⅲ)content,wt)could exhibit 9.9-fold enhancement of the electrochemiluminescence(ECL)signal for visual emission.This work provided a novel strategy on designing highly efficient ECL materials based on trace Ir(Ⅲ)-end capping AIE-active polymer dots.