Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a unique class of polyesters especially due to their chemical diversity imparted by their side-chain substituent that provides a handle to tune their properties, such as their...

malononitrile) (TPA-AN-TPM) with near-infrared emission was synthesized by coating a disc-like red emission fluorophore with a propeller-shaped AIE fluorophore. The ultrabright red AIE dots TPA-AN-TPM@PS-PVP (TPA-AN-TPM in poly(styrene)-poly(4-vinylpyridine) nanoparticles) with an absolute quantum yield of 12.9% were fabricated by using the AIE molecule TPA-AN-TPM as the core and one biocompatible polymer PS-PVP as the encapsulation matrix. The AIE dots are mono-dispersed with an average diameter of 25 nm, and are stable in an aqueous suspension. In particular, the AIE dots can stain both the cytoplasm and the nuclei with a strong red fluorescence signal, and pose little toxicity to living cells.

A class of air-stable, odorless, easy-to-handle, and readily available sulfur-containing synthons that react with 1,2-diaza-1,3-dienes to afford 2,5-dihydro-1,4,5-thiadiazepines is described.