Aggregation‐Induced Emission (AIE): A Historical Perspective
Abstract
Aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) has attracted considerable interest over the last twenty years. In contrast to the large number of available reviews focusing specifically on AIE, this Essay discusses the AIE phenomenon from a broader perspective, with an emphasis on early observations related to AIE made long before the term was coined. Illustrative examples are highlighted from the 20th century where fluorescence enhancement upon rigidification of dyes in viscous or solid environments or J‐aggregate formation was studied. It is shown that these examples already include typical AIE luminogens such as tetraphenylethylene (TPE) as well as stilbenes and oligo‐ or polyphenylenevinylenes and ‐ethynylenes, which became important fluorescent solid‐state materials in OLED research in the 1990s. Further examples include cyanine dyes such as thiazole orange (TO) or its dimers (TOTOs), which have been widely applied as molecular probes in nucleic acid research. The up to 10 000‐fold fluorescence enhancement of such dyes upon intercalation into double‐stranded DNA, attributable to the restricted intramolecular motion (RIM) concept, afforded commercial products for bioimaging and fluorescence sensing applications already in the early 1990s.
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Excitation energy in "floppy" molecules with built-in flexibility or free rotating groups (e.g., rotatable aromatic rings) can be nonradiatively dissipated when their motions are not perturbed (as in the case of solution), resulting in these molecules being nonemissive.
“In brief, excitation energy in “floppy” molecules with built-in flexibility or free rotating groups (e.g., rotatable aromatic rings) can be nonradiatively dissipated when their motions are not perturbed (as in the case of solution), resulting in these molecules being nonemissive.”
From The Pursuit of Shortwave Infrared-Emitting Nanoparticles with Bright Fluorescence through Molecular Design and Excited-State Engineering of Molecular Aggregates (2022) · cites this paper as [131]
When an aggregation occurs or when a molecule is introduced into a rigid microenvironment, the motional freedom becomes restricted, and light emission is turned on or substantially enhanced.
“However, when an aggregation occurs or when a molecule is introduced into a rigid microenvironment, the motional freedom becomes restricted, and light emission is turned on or substantially enhanced.”
From The Pursuit of Shortwave Infrared-Emitting Nanoparticles with Bright Fluorescence through Molecular Design and Excited-State Engineering of Molecular Aggregates (2022) · cites this paper as [131]
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“131 In brief, excitation energy in “floppy” molecules with built-in flexibility or free rotating groups (e.g., rotatable aromatic rings) can be nonradiatively dissipated when their motions are not perturbed (as in the case of solution), resulting in these molecules being nonemissive.”
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- Authors
- Würthner, F.
- Affiliations
- University of Würzburg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Würthner, Frank
- ORCID
- Würthner, Frank
- Venue
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-07-13
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 34
- Pages
- 14192-14196
- ISSN
- 1433-7851 (ISSN-L)
- 1521-3773
- OpenAlex
- W3042602012
- Cited by
- 696
- References
- 63
- Citations by year
- 2026: 68 · 2025: 130 · 2024: 133 · 2023: 131 · 2022: 120 · 2021: 95 · 2020: 19
- FWCI
- 4.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Luminescence and Fluorescent Materials
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Physical and Theoretical Chemistry › Photochemistry and Electron Transfer Studies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Research
- Keywords
- aggregation-induced emission, fluorescence enhancement, J-aggregate formation, tetraphenylethylene, stilbenes, poly(phenylene vinylene), cyanine dyes, thiazole orange, DNA intercalation, OLED materials, nucleic acid probes, bioimaging, fluorescence sensing
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