New indole-containing luminophores: convenient synthesis and aggregation-induced emission enhancement

Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogens with Photoresponsive Behaviors for Biomedical Applications

Fluorescent biomedical materials can visualize subcellular structures and therapy processes in vivo. The aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomenon helps suppress the quenching effect in the aggregated state suffered by conventional fluorescent materials, thereby contributing to design strategies for fluorescent biomedical materials. Photoresponsive biomedical materials have attracted attention because of the inherent advantages of light; i.e., remote control, high spatial and temporal resolution, and environmentally friendly characteristics, and their combination with AIE facilitates development of fluorescent molecules with efficient photochemical reactions upon light irradiation. In this review, organic compounds with AIE features for biomedical applications and design strategies for photoresponsive AIE luminogens (AIEgens) are first summarized briefly. Applications are then reviewed, with the employment of photoresponsive and AIE-active molecules for photoactivation imaging, super-resolution imaging, light-induced drug delivery, photodynamic therapy with photochromic behavior, and bacterial targeting and killing being discussed at length. Finally, the future outlook for AIEgens is considered with the aim of stimulating innovative work for further development of this field.

Synthesis of Novel Biocompatible Thienopyrimidine Chromophores with Aggregation-Induced Emission Sensitive to Molecular Aggregation

Biocompatible luminogens with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) have several applications in the biology field, such as in detecting biomacromolecules bioprobes and in bio-imaging. Due to their bioactivities and light-emitting properties, many heterocyclic compounds are good candidates for such applications. However, heterocyclic π-conjugated systems with AIE behavior remain rare as strong intermolecular π-π interactions usually quench their emission. In this work, new thienopyrimidine heterocyclic compounds were synthesized and their structures were verified by elemental analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and 13C NMR spectra. The photophysical properties of some compounds were investigated in the solution and solid states. Density functional theory calculations were also performed to confirm the observed photophysical properties of the compounds. The studied dyes displayed AIE properties with spectral shapes related to the aggregate structure and a quantum yield up to 10.8%. The emission efficiency of the powder is attributed to the incorporation of multiply rotatable and twisted aryl groups to the fused heterocyclic moieties. The dyes also showed high thermal stability and potent antimicrobial activities against numerous bacterial and fungal strains. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of the new compounds was evaluated against the Caco-2 cell line, and molecular docking was used to investigate the binding conformation of the most effective compound with the MNK2 enzyme. Therefore, the presented structures may potentially be used for bioapplications.

Dynamic characterization of crystalline fluorophores with conformationally flexible tetrahydrocarbazole frameworks

Fluorescent compounds 2 and 3 have been prepared by using Ullmann-type coupling reactions. Solid-state NMR (¹³C CPMAS and ²H) and periodic DFT computations were used to determine that intramolecular motion coexists with emission in these crystals.

A photostable AIE fluorogen for lysosome-targetable imaging of living cells

We designed and synthesized a lysosome-targetable fluorescence probe, TPE-CA, which can sensitively and selectively monitor a subcellular organelle pH change.

Synthesis, molecular structure and photoluminescence properties of 1,2-diphenyl-4-(3-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-cyclopentadiene

1,2-Diphenyl-4-(3-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-cyclopentadiene (DPMPCP) was synthesized via aldol condensation reaction followed by cyclization and dehydration reaction. Its structure was characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR spectra, high-resolution mass spectrometry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence spectra of DPMPCP in solution and aggregation state were studied. It shows solvent-dependent fluorescence emission and aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) characteristic when DPMPCP aggregated in water/acetonitrile mixture or in crystals. The crystal structure analysis reveals combination effects of J-aggregation molecule stacking and restriction of intramolecular rotation by intermolecular interactions on AIEE. Additionally, the thermal stability, electrochemical property and DFT calculation of DPMPCP were investigated.

Fluorescent turn-on detection and assay of water based on 4-(2-dimethylaminoethyloxy)-N-octadecyl-1,8-naphthalimide with aggregation-induced emission enhancement

The photophysical properties of 4-(2-dimethylaminoethyloxy)-N-octadecyl-1,8-naphthalimide (DON) consisting of donor and acceptor units were investigated in different solutions. Changing from a non-polar to a polar solvent increased the solvent interaction and both the excitation and emission spectra were shifted to longer wavelength and intensity decreased through taking advantage of twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and spectral analyses revealed that such fluorophores were capable of sensing protons by intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). Empirical and quantum mechanical calculations showed that the electron donating effect of the dimethylamino group decreased the change in dipole moment on excitation which resulted in a fluorescence quantum yield remarkably enhanced as the solvent polarity increased. In alkaline media the fluorescence of DON was quenched owing to photoinduced electron transfer being disabled in acidic media. The pK(a) of the 1,8-naphthailimide dye was 6.70, which defines the dye as a highly efficient "off-on" switch. DON exhibited a typical aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) behavior that it is virtually nonemissive in organic solvent but highly luminescent in water, as a result of the restriction of free intramolecular rotation of a C-N bond and the non-planar configuration in the aggregate state. The hydrophobicity of octadecyl group provided DON with a fluorescent response to water based on AIEE and the water-dependent spectral characteristics of DON, and the AIEE of DON caused by the effect of water and formation of J-aggregation states. In the range of 0-79.8% (v/v), the fluorescence intensity of DON in acetone solution increased as a linear function of the water content. The optimum detection limits were of 0.011%, 0.0021%, and 0.0033% of water in acetone, ethanol, and acetonitrile, respectively. Satisfactory reproducibility, reversibility and a short response time were realized.