Mechanophore with analogue force readout in a polymer network

Polymer networks are fundamental from materials science to cellular biology, however their intrinsic properties are normally characterized using common ensemble-averaged methods. In this work, we introduce a synthetic mechanophore to read out the local force, and to show the proof of concept we covalently link it into a PMA (polymethylacrylate) network as crosslink. We observe differing local intensities of different mechanophores as well as their differing evolution during stretch, and from this quantify locally non-affine responses. Interestingly, it seems to be the single-molecule response yet with analogue force readout inaccessible using conventional mechanophores based on irreversible bond scission mechanisms.