Aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE)-active tetraphenylethene (TPE)-based chemosensor for CN. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2021;245:118928. [PMID: 32950857 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2020.118928]

Electrostatically mediated phosphorescence enhancement of micro-nano composites

Organic room-temperature phosphorescent materials have developed rapidly. However, the phosphor emission enhancement of micro-nano materials achieved by electrostatic interaction were rarely reported. Herein, taking polystyrene microspheres (μPS) and urea-formaldehyde phosphorescent resin microspheres (μUF) as examples, a method was developed to enhance the phosphorescent performance of μUF by mixing with μPS. The opposite surface potential of μPS and μUF resulting in a significant electrostatic interaction. Moreover, the guest molecules in μUF were polarized under electrostatic interaction, which enhanced the binding to the matrix and further suppressed the non-radiative transition, so effectively improving phosphor emission. Furthermore, the electrostatic interaction of micro-nano composites demonstrated good universality in improving phosphorescence performance, as evidenced by incorporating of varying polymer microparticles into μUF or blending μPS with other phosphorescent microspheres. This work demonstrates the mechanism of electrostatic interaction enhancing phosphorescence emission within the micro-nano composites, which paves the way for the regulation of phosphorescent materials.

Unveiling mechanistic insights and applications of aggregation-enhanced emission (AEE)-active polynuclear transition metal complexes

Aggregation-enhanced emission (AEE) in polynuclear transition metal complexes (PTMCs) represents a major advancement in luminescent materials, overcoming the limitations of aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) in traditional systems. Unlike conventional materials that suffer from quenching, AEE-active PTMCs exhibit enhanced luminescence in the aggregated state, driven by mechanisms such as restricted molecular motion, π-π stacking, and metal-metal interactions. These properties make PTMCs highly versatile for applications including chemical sensing, bioimaging, photodynamic therapy (PDT), optoelectronics (e.g., OLEDs, WOLEDs, and LEDs), and security technologies (e.g., anti-counterfeiting inks). They enable the sensitive detection of pollutants, facilitate high-performance bioimaging, and enhance the efficiency of energy devices. However, PTMCs face several challenges, including complex synthesis, limited thermal and photostability, solubility issues, and environmental and toxicity concerns. Additionally, high production costs, instability in different media, and the need for optimized energy transfer efficiency must be addressed to enhance their practical performance. This review explores the mechanisms behind AEE in PTMCs and discusses strategies for overcoming these challenges, including ligand engineering, hybrid material development, and sustainable synthesis methods. It also highlights their potential in advancing energy-efficient technologies, precision therapeutics, and secure communication systems, contributing to a more sustainable and innovative future.

In situ biosynthesis of functionalized fluorescent bacterial cellulose

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a porous biopolymer synthesized via microbial fermentation. BC exhibits remarkable properties and is widely utilized in diverse applications. Despite all its merits, BC is constrained by certain performance limitations. This study aims to fabricate fluorescent BC through in situ biosynthesis approach. The successful covalent incorporation of fluorescent molecules into BC polymer chain was confirmed by infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicated that the functionalized fluorescent BC retained excellent three-dimensional network structure and also preserved the introduced fluorescence property. Yet the introduction of these functional molecules led to certain degree of reduction in crystallinity, thermal stability, and surface energy. Hemolysis and cell proliferation assays demonstrated that the functionalized BC exhibited favorable biocompatibility. All in all, this novel functionalized fluorescent BC has immense potential for biomedical applications.

AIE-Based & Organic Luminescent Materials: Nanoarchitectonics and Advanced Applications

Organic luminescence materials makes the molecule more enthusiastic in wide variety of applications. The luminescent organic materials are in a attraction of the researchers, and the Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) is attributed to the occurrence that particular chromophores (typically fluorophores) display very low or nearly no emission in the monomolecular soluble state but become highly emissive when forming aggregates in solution or in solid state. This phenomenon is relatively abnormal when compared with many other traditional fluorophores. AIE research suppresses aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). Nevertheless, the carbon dots (CDs) and quantum dots have shown to have tyical florescence properties, therefore, recent years many researchers have also attracted for their developments. The CDs, luminescent, and AIE materials are not only used in biomedical applications and organic light-emitting diodes but also in sensing, self-assembly, and other areas. One should introduce promising material to a designed framework that exhibits AIE characteristics to ensure moral results in AIE. Amongest, AIE-active tetraphenylethylene (TPE) is attractive fluorophores due to its easy synthesis strategy. This review article discusses the synthesis properties of TPE, CDs, and luminescent materials with a broad range of applications. We have outlined linear, branched-shaped supramolecular, and hybrid macromolecules due to its potential in the future.

Fast and easy detection of hypochlorite by a smartphone-based fluorescent turn-on probe: Applications to water samples, zebrafish and plant imaging

We have developed a fluorescent probe DBT-Cl ((E)-2-(2-(4-(diphenylamino)benzylidene) hydrazinyl)-N,N,N-trimethyl-2-oxoethan-1-aminium chloride) for ClO- with an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) strategy depending on solvent polarity. DBT-Cl possessed a prominent solvatochromic emission property with intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) from the TPA (triphenylamine) to the amide group, which was studied by spectroscopic analysis and DFT calculations. These unique AIE properties of DBT-Cl led to the recognition of ClO- with high fluorescent selectivity. DBT-Cl quickly detected ClO- in less than 1 sec with a fluorescent color change from green to cyan. DBT-Cl had a low detection limit of 9.67 μM to ClO-. Detection mechanism of DBT-Cl toward ClO- was illustrated to be oxidative cleavage of DBT-Cl by 1H NMR titrations, ESI-mass, and DFT calculations. We established the viability for dependable detection of ClO- in actual water samples, as well as zebrafish and plant imaging. In particular, DBT-Cl was capable of easily monitoring ClO- through a smartphone application. Therefore, DBT-Cl assured a promising approach for a fast-responsive and multi-applicable ClO- probe in environmental and living organism systems.

Imidazole Compounds: Synthesis, Characterization and Application in Optical Analysis

Imidazole is a five-membered heterocyclic ring containing three carbon atoms, two nitrogen atoms, and two double bonds. Among two nitrogen atoms, one of which carries with a hydrogen atom is a pyrrole-type nitrogen atom, another is a pyridine type nitrogen atom. Hence, the imidazole ring belongs to the π electron-rich aromatic ring and can accept strong suction to the electronic group. Moreover, the nitrogen atom of the imidazole ring is coordinated with metal ions to form metal-organic frameworks. In recent years, because of imidazole compounds' unique optical properties, their applications have attracted more and more attention in optical analysis. Thus, this review has summarized the synthesis, characterization, and application with emphasis on the research progress of imidazole compounds in optical analysis, including fluorescence probe, colorimetric probe, electrochemiluminescence sensor, fiber optical sensor, surface plasmon resonance, etc. This paper will suggest the direction for the development of imidazole-containing sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Fluorescence-based ratiometric sensors as emerging tools for CN- detection: Chemical structures, sensing mechanisms and applications

Hazardous cyanide anions (CN-) are increasingly threatening the environment and human health due to their widespread use in industry and many other fields. Over the past three decades, a large number of probes have been reported to sensitively and selectively detect this toxic anion, while a rather limited number of ratiometric fluorescent probes have been developed. The ratiometric probes have significant potential in bio-imaging and biomedical applications because of the ability to detect CN- in a quick, convenient and affordable way. In this review, we introduce 42 ratiometric fluorescent probes reported in the past 6 years (2018-2023) for CN- detection. Our description includes the chemical structures, photo-physical properties, CN- sensing mechanisms, solution color changes, limits of detection (LODs) and/or various applications of these chemical probes. This review provides guidelines for design and development of a new ratiometric probe for effective CN- detection.

AIE-based ratiometric fluorescent probe for mercury ion, medium-dependent fluorescence color change and optimized sensitivity in solid state

A new AIE-based luminogen TPES, as a ratiometric fluorescence probe for mercury(II) was readily synthesized. The probe combined the advantages of the outstanding specificity of Hg2+-triggered deprotection reaction of thioketal and the brilliant emission of AIEgens in aggregated state. Once encountered aqueous Hg2+, fluorescent color of TPES in THF-H2O (fw = 98%) altered from blue to green rapidly, while other metal cations gave no interference to the probe. And the mechanism of this chemosensor was carefully verified by 1H NMR analysis, FTIR and MS spectra. As expected, TPES exhibits excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards Hg2+ in the solid state. When using filter paper as the solid medium, the fabricated test strips could signify Hg2+ ions with the LOD as 1 × 10-5 M (Hg2+ in aqueous solution), accompanied with a distinct emitting altered from blue to green. Furthermore, by changing the medium from filter paper to silica gel plate, a more significant fluorescence alteration from blue to yellow was achieved, and the LOD was further optimized to 1 × 10-6 M as discerned by naked-eye.

Tunable Fluorescence via Self-Assembled Switching of AIE-Active Micelle-like Nanoaggregates

Chemical structures bearing a combination of aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) properties attracted the attention of many researchers. Recently, there is an increasing demand to pose tunable AIEE and ICT fluorophores that could present their conformation changes-related emission colors by adjusting the medium polarity. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of 4-alkoxyphenyl-substituted 1,8-naphthalic anhydride derivatives NAxC using the Suzuki coupling reaction to construct donor-acceptor (D-A)-type fluorophores with alkoxyl substituents of varying carbon chain lengths (x = 1, 2, 4, 6, 12 in NAxC). To explain the observation that molecules with longer carbon chains revealed unusual fluorescence enhancement in water, we study the optical properties and evaluate their locally excited (LE) and ICT states by solvent effects combined with Lippert-Mataga plots. Then, we explored the self-assembly abilities of these molecules in water-organic (W/O) mixed solutions and observed the morphology of its nanostructure using a fluorescence microscope and SEM. The results show that NAxC, x = 4, 6, 12 show different degrees of self-assembly behaviors and corresponding aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) progresses. At the same time, different nanostructures and corresponding spectral changes can be obtained by adjusting the water ratio in the mixed solution. That is, NAxC compounds present different transitions between LE, ICT and AIEE based on the polarity, water ratio and time changes. We designed NAxC as the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the surfactant to demonstrate that AIEE comes from the formation of micelle-like nanoaggregates, which causes a restriction of the transfer from the LE state to the ICT state, and micelle formation results in a blue-shift in emission and enhances the intensity in the aggregate state. Among them, NA12C is most likely to form micelles and the most obvious fluorescence enhancement, which will switch over time due to the nano-aggregation transition.

Aryl-Phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole: A Versatile Scaffold for the Design of Optical-Based Sensors

Fluorescent and colorimetric sensors are important tools for investigating the chemical compositions of different matrices, including foods, environmental samples, and water. The high sensitivity, low interference, and low detection limits of these sensors have inspired scientists to investigate this class of sensing molecules for ion and molecule detection. Several examples of fluorescent and colorimetric sensors have been described in the literature; this Review focuses particularly on phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazoles. Different strategies have been developed for obtaining phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazoles, which enable modification of their optical properties upon interaction with specific analytes. These sensing responses usually involve changes in the fluorescence intensity and/or color arising from processes like photoinduced electron transfer, intramolecular charge transfer, intramolecular proton transfer in the excited state, and Förster resonance energy transfer. In this Review, we categorized these sensors into two different groups: those bearing formyl groups and their derivatives and those based on other molecular groups. The different optical responses of phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole-based sensors upon interaction with specific analytes are discussed.

Benzothiazole derivatives based colorimetric and fluorescent probes for detection of amine/ammonia and monitoring the decomposition of urea by urease

Amines play critical roles in chemical, agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. However, volatile amine vapours cause widespread pollution and threaten human health. An efficient, highly sensitive and recyclable sensor for monitoring amine vapours is highly demanded. Typically, 2-(2-hydroxy-5-methyl) benzothiazole (HBT) derivates exhibit excellent aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomena in keto form originated from a unique excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process. In this work, we have designed and synthesized two HBT-based fluorescent probes for ratiometric detection toward amine vapours and ammonia. In addition, the detection limits for ammonia were calculated as 226 ppm and 13 ppm respectively. Additionally, the test strips and electrospinning film dopped with fluorescent probes were utilized to recognize amine vapours and ammonia colorimetric with high sensitivity in solid states. According to the above characteristics, probes could monitor the biological activity of urease conveniently and rapidly.

Imidazopyridine–fluoride interaction: solvent-switched AIE effects via S⋯O conformational locking

Imidazopyridine-based carboxamide exhibiting the aggregation-induced emission phenomenon works effectively in fluoride ion detection through H-bond interaction and subsequent deprotonation.

A fluorescent molecular rotor for the in situ imaging of latent fingerprints

We developed a fluorescent molecular rotor that responds to hydrophobic and viscous environments and visualizes latent fingerprints with level 3 details.

Spermine and Spermidine Detection through Restricted Intramolecular Rotations in a Tetraphenylethylene Derivative

Biogenic polyamines, especially spermine and spermidine, are associated with cell growth and development. These amines can be found at high concentrations in the tumor cells, tissues, and urine of cancer patients. In contrast, spermidine levels drop with age, and a possible connection between low endogenous spermidine concentrations and age-related deterioration has been suggested. Thus, the quantification of these amines in body fluids like urine could be used in the diagnosis of different pathological situations. Here a new fluorescent molecular probe based on a tetraphenylethylene derivative is reported. This probe is able to selectively detect these amines through the enhancement of the fluorescence emission of the resulting complex. This fluorescence enhancement may be related to restricted intramolecular rotations of TPE phenyl rings induced by the analyte. Theoretical studies were carried out to shed light on the observed selectivity. Finally, the detection of these amines in urine was performed with limits of detection of 0.70 µM and 1.17 µM for spermine and spermidine, respectively.

Magnetic mesoporous nanomaterials with AIE properties for selective detection and removal of CN- from water under magnetic conditions

We have prepared a type of magnetic mesoporous nanomaterial with aggregation-induced emission properties (Fe3O4@mSiO2@TPA@BA, hence abbr. FSTB) to detect and remove cyanide ions (CN-) under magnetic conditions. FSTB has a large specific surface area and improved fluorescence performance to identify CN-, and its superparamagnetic behavior plays an important role in removing CN-. The magnetic sensor FSTB shows excellent selectivity and anti-interference for the detection of CN- in aqueous solutions. It is obvious from the equation LOD = 3δ/S that the limit of detection (LOD) of FSTB for CN- is significantly lower than the permissible level of CN- in drinkable water recommended by the World Health Organization. Therefore, the magnetic sensor FSTB has a wide range of applications for detecting and removing harmful CN-.

Force-, heat- and acid-induced fluorescent switching properties of an anthracene-based hydrazide derivative

A novel anthracene-based hydrazide derivative (3,4-ENS) was designed and synthesized, and 3,4-ENS can form stable organogel in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent. Firstly, 3,4-ENS xerogel from DMSO exhibits mechanofluorochromic property and its maximum emission shifts from 433 nm to 484 nm upon grinding. Secondly, DMSO xerogel exhibits thermofluorochromic behavior and its maximum emission shifts from 433 nm to 481 nm upon heating at 110 °C. Thirdly, DMSO xerogel exhibits acidofluorochromic behavior and its maximum emission shifts from 433 nm to 466 nm upon fuming by TFA vapors. The experimental results confirmed that the different luminescent property of 3,4-ENS attributed to the phase transition from well-ordered crystals to metastable disordered aggregation.