Preparation of Highly Colloidal Stable Yolk-Shell Nanocomposite and Its Multi-stimuli Responsive Based on Surface Aggregation-Induced Emission (S-AIE)

Abstract Multi-stimuli responsive fluorescence probe could pave the way for monitoring more complex environmental changes. Here we prepared multifunctional nanoparticle Fe3O4@SiO2@P(DMAEMA-co-TPEE), which displayed yolk-shell morphology with well-defined polymer brush. With superparamagnetic Fe3O4 component and pH/temperature dual sensitive PDMAEMA polymer brush, the as prepared nanoparticles (YS-NPs) exhibited as multi-stimuli responsive fluorescence probe for real-time visual monitoring of environmental changes such as magnetic field, temperature and pH. Such YS-NPs could also be applied as a sensitive detector for CO2 in aqueous solution. Notably, the solution of YS-NPs showed high colloidal stability during the environmental changes, and surface aggregation-induced emission (S-AIE) was proposed for the aggregation of TPE residue on the surface of YS-NPs.