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Updated: Nov 3, 2025
Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Molecular Rotors in Living Cells
Published on: February 9, 2012
Visual detection of viscosity through activatable molecular rotor with aggregation-induced emission
Lingfeng Xu1, Kui Wu2, Runlin Han3
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi 343009, China; State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials & Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, College of Materials Science & Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
A novel molecular rotor (TPA-PBZ) detects food spoilage by monitoring viscosity changes. This innovation offers a new tool for ensuring food safety and quality inspection.
Area of Science:
- Chemical sensors
- Food science
- Materials science
Background:
- Food safety is a critical global public health concern.
- Irregular viscosity in food is linked to spoilage.
- Developing sensitive methods for viscosity monitoring is essential for food quality assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize an activatable molecular rotor (TPA-PBZ) for viscosity sensing.
- To evaluate the application of TPA-PBZ in monitoring food gum thickening.
- To assess the utility of TPA-PBZ in detecting viscosity changes during liquid food spoilage.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of triphenylamine-based molecular rotor (TPA-PBZ) via Schiff base condensation.
- Characterization of TPA-PBZ's photophysical properties, including aggregation-induced emission and large Stokes shift.
- Application of TPA-PBZ as a fluorescent probe to detect viscosity variations in food matrices.
Main Results:
- The synthesized TPA-PBZ exhibits aggregation-induced emission and a large Stokes shift (160 nm).
- Fluorescence emission at 568 nm increases as TPA-PBZ's rotation is restricted in high-viscosity environments.
- TPA-PBZ successfully determined thickening effects of food gum and viscosity enhancement during liquid food spoilage.
Conclusions:
- The developed molecular rotor TPA-PBZ is effective for real-time viscosity monitoring.
- TPA-PBZ serves as an intelligent platform for food quality and safety inspection.
- This approach offers a promising method for viscosity-related food safety assessments.
