Orthogonal Holographic and Multicolor Fluorescent Images via Aggregation Caused Quenching and Aggregation Induced Emission Nanoparticles with Förster Resonance Energy Transfer

Achieving crosstalk-free, multimodal photopatterning within a single material element is crucial for enhancing information storage capacity and security. Herein, we report composite dye nanoparticles constructed via supramolecular encapsulation of aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) dyes by an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) matrix. This architecture enables efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from tetraphenylethylene (TPE) to 2,5-bis(4-(diethylamino)-benzylidene)cyclopentanone (BDEA), resulting in dual-mode optical encoding. By introducing coumarin 6 (C-6) as an intermediate donor and finely tuning its ratio to BDEA, a light-responsive, cascaded FRET system (BDEA&C-6@TPE) was developed, enabling precise fluorescence color modulation with an exceptional redshift (∼124 nm) and near-unity energy transfer efficiency (ΦET ≈ 99%). The emission can be readily adjusted from light green to yellow, offering a facile route to programmable photopatterns. Moreover, the composite nanoparticles act as highly effective photosensitizers for holographic photopolymers, achieving a high refractive index modulation (Δn = 1.74 × 10–2). The intrinsic orthogonality between the cascaded FRET and holographic photopolymerization processes facilitates the seamless, crosstalk-free integration of multicolor fluorescence and volume holography. This dual-modal ACQ@AIE composite dye system expands the scope of optical data storage, anticounterfeiting, and information encryption technologies.