Abstract
Mechanoluminescence, or the generation of light from materials under external force, is a powerful tool for biology and materials science. However, direct mechanoluminescence from polymers remains limited. Here, we report a novel design strategy for mechanoluminescent polymers that leverages the synergy between a masked 2-furylcarbinol mechanophore for mechanically triggered release and an adamantylidene-phenoxy-1,2-dioxetane chemiluminophore payload. Ultrasound-induced mechanochemical activation of polymers, in both organic and aqueous solutions, triggers a cascade reaction that ultimately results in bright green light emission. This novel strategy capitalizes on the modularity of the masked 2-furylcarbinol mechanophore system in combination with advances in the design of exceptionally bright and highly tunable adamantylidene-1,2-dioxetane chemiluminophores. We anticipate that this chemistry will enable diverse applications in optoelectronics, sensing, bioimaging, optogenetics, and many other areas.