Long wavelength AIEgen of quinoline-malononitrile

Abstract

The development of novel building blocks as long wavelength aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active fluorophores/chromophores is in high demand for high performance luminescent and optical bioimaging agents. In this Highlight, we summarize some recent advances in the area of red to near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent AIE-active organic materials derived from our established building block of quinoline-malononitrile (QM), focusing on the AIE mechanism, water-soluble and shape-specific effects, use as hybridized dye-doped prodrug, as well as the facile scale-up and fast preparation for AIE-active nanoparticles through flash nanoprecipitation.