Advances in Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) Luminogens, Fluorescent Sensors for Ions, Biomolecules and Explosives...

Fluorescent sensors have emerged as indispensable tools for detecting various fields, including visualising biological processes in molecular biology, clinical diagnostics, biotechnology, and environmental monitoring, due to their high sensitivity, selectivity, excellent biocompatibility, ease of use, and low cost. However, conventional fluorophores, which exhibit diminished fluorescence upon aggregation/detection, that is, in the aggregated state, predominantly suffer from aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ); thus, limit their potential in sensing technologies. To overcome, the new aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-luminogens have been extensively applied in biomedical imaging, optoelectronics, stimuli-responsive systems, drug delivery, and chemical sensing, as AIEgens display greater fluorescence upon aggregation, offering a powerful solution. This review provides a comprehensive, systematic overview of the latest advancements in organic AIE-based fluorescent luminogens. It begins with the fundamentals of AIE and their use in ion sensing, followed by a discussion of the detection of explosives and bioactive molecules. We then summarized by highlighting the diverse range of approaches to establishing an association between the structures of AIEgens and their sensing performance, and finally discussed the current challenges and future opportunities in this rapidly growing research area. We hope this review will spark new ideas and inspire new endeavors in this emerging research area, thereby further promoting state-of-the-art progress in sensing.