Multilayer 3D AIE Polymers for Selective Fe ³⁺ Detection: Achiral and Chiral Platforms for Environmental Sensing

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‐dibromodibenzo[b,d]furan, 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.