Mechanochromic luminescent covalent organic frameworks for highly selective hydroxyl radical detection

The mechanochromic luminescence phenomenon was first reported in the low-cost mechanochemical (MC) synthesis process of a covalent organic framework (COF-TpMA (MC)) prepared using triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and melamine (MA) as precursors, which shows excellent performance as a hydroxyl radical (˙OH) detector in living systems. This work not only shows a new kind of mechanochromic luminescent material but also exhibits a close relationship between the π-π stacking and luminescence properties of COF materials.