LAUSR

Abstract In the present work, a tetraphenylethylene (TPE) derivative with four ureidopyrimidinones (TPE-tetraUPy) was synthesized through a two-step reaction, which could make up supramolecular hyperbranched polymers in CHCl3 through quadruple hydrogen bonding interactions with aggregation-induced emission (AIE). The supramolecular hyperbranched polymers were characterized by Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR), viscosity measurement, 1H NMR spectra, and steady-state spectra. The as-prepared supramolecular hyperbranched polymers can further self-assemble to form nanoparticles in CHCl3/hexane mixture (1:99, v/v) or form nanoparticles in uniform shape and size using the miniemulsion method with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant. From the supramolecular nanoparticles prepared in the miniemulsion method, we construct a light-harvesting system to study the excitation energy transfer properties by using the electrostatic assembly of negatively charged sulforhodamine 101 (SR101) on the nanoparticles, which exhibited a high energy transfer efficiency (37.2%) and antenna effect (30.7).