Chapter 12 - Electrofluorochromism in AIE luminogens

Abstract

Electrofluorochromism is a phenomenon associated with electrochromism of electroactive luminogens during electrochemical reactions. The electrochromic behavior which refers to the reversible optical change upon electrochemical oxidation or reduction was discovered by Platt in 1961. After three decades, Lehn et al. proposed the concept of “electrofluorochromic behavior” by integrating electrochromism and fluorescence in a single material. Another decade passed, the first paradigm of the electrochemically driven fluorescent device was developed in 2006. Clearly, the study in electrofluorochromism is at a relative early state compared to the electrochemical manipulation of optical properties such as electrochromism (redox-switchable color) or electrochemical light generation as electrochemiluminescence. Since the initiation of AIE in 2001, several electrochemically monitored fluorescent materials and devices started to pop up. Therefore, the electrofluorochromic luminogens reviewed here will be focused on their molecular structures and design strategies, as well as the performance of their electrofluorochromic devices.