Recent advances and perspectives of aggregation-induced emission as an emerging platform for detection and bioimaging

The emergent arena of bio-nanotechnology aims at modernizing the detection and bioimaging discipline via the introduction of aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based tools. AIE is a unique photophysical phenomenon because of the photoemission of the propeller-like molecules that could be significantly enhanced after aggregation. AIE differs immensely from the generally recognized aggregation-caused emission quenching (ACQ) observed in numerous conventional luminophores that own well-conjugated and planar structures. The luminogens with AIE aspects (AIEgens) are more promising to be applied in various research front. Driven by ever-increasing interests for good applicability, fast response, excellent fluorescence and sensitivity, the fluorescent AIE-probes with numerous working methodology and innovative functionalities are prospering at an astonishing speed. In this review, we have presented a brief introduction of AIE with development history, comparison with conventional fluorophores, expected working methodology, discuss the structure-property relationship of the AIEgens and summarized the recent progress of AIE molecular and nanomaterial probe over the past 3 years with their respective mechanism of detection and bioimaging. In addition, this work provides a novel platform for the preparation and potential applications of multifunctional AIE-active nano-systems responsiveness for various detection of analytes and cell bioimaging with respective examples and also encompasses the recent progress, challenges and potential breakthroughs.