Mechanochromism of a luminescent natural rubber under tensile deformation

Various examples are reported of chromogenic materials composed of a functional dye covalently linked to the polymer chains or physically dispersed in the continuous macromolecular matrix, the latter appears to be a more sustainable route for the industrial scale-up of these materials. In this study, a mechanochromic elastomer was prepared by physically dispersing dye materials into a rubber matrix by solution mixing technique. The employed rubber is natural rubber (NR). The NR was chosen because of its ability of strain-induced crystallization. Perylene diimide I is selected after considering its aggregachromic nature and affinity with rubber matrix. The optimum composition of dye in rubber composites was determined based on the mechanochromic performance characterized with ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectrometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and spectrofluorometer (FL). The UV/Vis spectrometer and FL monitor the optical responses, such as absorbance and emission property, under tensile deformation due to the breakage of dye aggregates. Spectroscopic analysis with polarization monitors the breakage of dye aggregates and anisotropic property of the sample. The XRD monitors the change in size of dye aggregates. With polarization filtering, the breakage of dye aggregates are clearly observed and anisotropic property of the sample is also confirmed. The XRD results indicate that dye aggregates were broken during stretching because the shear force is applied to dye aggregates.