Facile fabrication of end-functional PLLA with AIEgens via Ugi reaction

Herein, we report a facile approach to synthesize poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) with end-capped aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens via the Ugi reaction, a typical multi-component reactions (MCRs). In the presence of carboxylic acid and isocyanide, end-functionalized PLLA with tetraphenylethylene (TPE), i.e., PLLA-TPE, can be synthesized from aldehyde-terminated PLLA and amine-substituted TPE. The photophysical properties of PLLA-TPE in solution and in solid film were investigated. Also, the impact of TPE end-group on the crystallization behavior of PLLA and the influence of crystallization on photoluminescence were examined. This work provides an effective approach for the development of novel end-functionalized polymers.