Force-triggered hypso- and bathochromic bidirectional fluorescence switching beyond 120 nm and its anticounterfeiting applications

Achieving high-contrast tricolor emissive regulation of a single-component molecule using a single type of external stimulus is highly desirable but challenging. In the present study, we report a symmetric acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A)–type aggregation-induced emission-active luminogen, which displays a sequential high-contrast fluorescence switching just by anisotropic mechanical grinding. Specifically, upon light grinding, an orange–yellow-to-blue hypsochromic mechanofluorochromic response with a distinct color contrast (change in the maximum emission wavelength, Δλ em,max = 122 nm) is noticed, and the slightly ground solid exhibits a blue-to-red high-contrast (Δλ em,max = 185 nm) bathochromic mechanofluorochromic conversion upon vigorous grinding. Thus, using a single luminogen developed here, we can realize wide-range (Δλ em,max > 100 nm) hypso- and bathochromic fluorescence mechanochromisms simultaneously. The tricolored mechanofluorochromic phenomenon is attributed to two different morphological transitions involving crystalline-to-crystalline and crystalline-to-amorphous states. Furthermore, three information anticounterfeiting systems are developed using the luminogen presented here.