Development of mechanoresponsive materials based on excimer-forming fluorescent probes and industrially relevant polymers

This work focuses on the design and synthesis of mechanochromic polymeric materials incorporating aggregachromic fluorophores, specifically perylene diimides (PDIs) and pyrene derivatives, as responsive probes. Two synthetic approaches were employed to incorporate these fluorophores into polymeric architectures: (a) covalent grafting to telechelic functional polymers, specifically pyrolyzed isotactic polypropylene (iPP) bearing terminal double bonds formed via thermal degradation and dihydroxy terminated polyethylene (PE); and (b) use of the same fluorophores as functional initiators for the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic macro-lactones, enabling their direct integration into the polymer backbone Both approaches afford stimuli-responsive materials that exhibit mechanically induced changes in fluorescence, offering potential applications in stress sensing, damage detection, and smart packaging. The resulting mechanochromic polymers combine structural tunability with optical responsiveness, paving the way for novel materials in advanced sensing technologies.