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Updated: Aug 28, 2025
Synthesis and Calibration of Phosphorescent Nanoprobes for Oxygen Imaging in Biological Systems
Published on: March 3, 2010
Aggregation-induced barrier to oxygen-a new AIE mechanism for metal clusters with phosphorescence
Yan Jin1, Qiu-Chen Peng1, Si Li1
1Henan Key Laboratory of Crystalline Molecular Functional Materials, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Tumor Theranostical Cluster Materials, Green Catalysis Center, and College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
Abstract:
Metal clusters are useful phosphors, but highly luminescent examples are quite rare. Usually, the phosphorescence of metal clusters is hindered by ambient O2 molecules. Transforming this disadvantage into an advantage for meaningful applications of metal clusters presents a formidable challenge. In this work, we used ligand engineering to judiciously prepare colour-tuneable and brightly emitting Cu(I) clusters that are ultrasensitive to O2 upon dispersion in a fluid solution or in a solid matrix. When the O2 scavenger dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was used as the solvent, joint photo- and oxygen-controlled multicolour switches were achieved for the first time for metal cluster-based photopatterning and photo-anticounterfeiting. More importantly, an aggregation-induced barrier to oxygen, a new aggregation-induced emission mechanism for metal clusters, was proposed, providing a new pathway to realizing the intense emission of metal clusters in the aggregated state. These results are expected to promote the application of metal clusters and enrich the luminescence theory of metal cluster aggregates.
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