Issue 7, 2024

Recent advances in super-resolution optical imaging based on aggregation-induced emission

Abstract

Super-resolution imaging has rapidly emerged as an optical microscopy technique, offering advantages of high optical resolution over the past two decades; achieving improved imaging resolution requires significant efforts in developing super-resolution imaging agents characterized by high brightness, high contrast and high sensitivity to fluorescence switching. Apart from technical requirements in optical systems and algorithms, super-resolution imaging relies on fluorescent dyes with special photophysical or photochemical properties. The concept of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) was proposed in 2001, coinciding with unprecedented advancements and innovations in super-resolution imaging technology. AIE probes offer many advantages, including high brightness in the aggregated state, low background signal, a larger Stokes shift, ultra-high photostability, and excellent biocompatibility, making them highly promising for applications in super-resolution imaging. In this review, we summarize the progress in implementation methods and provide insights into the mechanism of AIE-based super-resolution imaging, including fluorescence switching resulting from photochemically-converted aggregation-induced emission, electrostatically controlled aggregation-induced emission and specific binding-regulated aggregation-induced emission. Particularly, the aggregation-induced emission principle has been proposed to achieve spontaneous fluorescence switching, expanding the selection and application scenarios of super-resolution imaging probes. By combining the aggregation-induced emission principle and specific molecular design, we offer some comprehensive insights to facilitate the applications of AIEgens (AIE-active molecules) in super-resolution imaging.

Graphical abstract: Recent advances in super-resolution optical imaging based on aggregation-induced emission

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
26 8 2023
First published
26 2 2024

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2024,53, 3350-3383

Recent advances in super-resolution optical imaging based on aggregation-induced emission

F. Zhu, L. Mei, R. Tian, C. Li, Y. Wang, S. Xiang, M. Zhu and B. Z. Tang, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2024, 53, 3350 DOI: 10.1039/D3CS00698K

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