ABSTRACT Novel multilayer three‐dimensional (3D) achiral and chiral polymers exhibiting aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) characteristics were successfully synthesized via Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling using 2,5‐bis(4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxaborolan‐2‐yl)thiophene, 4,6‐dibromodibenzob,dfuran, and 1,1,2,2‐tetrakis(4‐bromophenyl)ethene as building blocks. Both polymers displayed pronounced AIE behavior and demonstrated excellent capabilities for detecting Fe 3+ ions. Notably, the AIE phenomenon and Fe 3+ sensing ability were retained even in unmodified lake water, eliminating the requirement for deionized water. This reveals that polymers can serve as practical sensor materials for environmental monitoring of Fe 3+ contamination. The synthesis, characterization, and sensing properties of these polymers are reported, highlighting their potential as robust and environmentally relevant chemosensors for heavy metal ion detection.
Zhang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.