Spontaneously Self‐Assembled Naphthalimide Nanosheets: Aggregation‐Induced Emission and Unveiling a‐PET for Sensitive Detection of Organic Volatile Contaminants in Water

Abstract

A simple design strategy of long alkyl chain substitution was formulated to block the detrimental π-π interaction that potentially transforms the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) chromophores into aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active smart nanomaterials. The long octadecyl pendant chain substituted naphthalimide (NI) derivatives self-assembled into fluorescent nanosheets (NS)-like structures that spontaneously have surfaces coated with NI cores in water. The fluorescent NS were subsequently used to recognize the organic volatile contaminants (OVCs) at ppb levels via an acceptor-excited photoinduced electron transfer (a-PET) mechanism, unveiled as the first representative example. A new design strategy is thereby provided to detect toxic xylene derivatives in water using smart nanomaterials.

ICT and AIE Characteristics Two Cyano-Functionalized Probes and Their Photophysical Properties, DFT Calculations, Cytotoxicity, and Cell Imaging Applications

“…The ACQ behavior of AIE-1 is due to conformational changes from twisted to planar with head to tail donor-acceptor arrangement through π-π interaction ( Figure S4a). Most of the fluorophores show ACQ behavior on aggregation or in their condensed state because of strong π-π interaction [54].…”

Donor and acceptor engineering for BINOL based AIEgens with enhanced fluorescence performance

“…18 Recently, P. K. Iyer's group modified a long alkyl chain to develop a smart AIEgenic nanostructure from a conventional ACQ-prone moiety. 19 Tang's group used bulky aromatic groups successfully resulting in a twisted molecular conformation, which converted the fluorescence behavior from ACQ to AIE, and the increasing of the steric hindrance greatly improved the fluorescence quantum yield. 20 These results tell us we can get an AIE molecule based on an ACQ group, and the mechanism was to get a twisted structure just the same as before.…”

An Unprecedented Blueshifted Naphthalimide AIEEgen for Ultrasensitive Detection of 4‐Nitroaniline in Water via “Receptor‐Free” IFE Mechanism

“…Thus, considering the role of nitroanilines as as erious environmental pollutant, the sensitive detection of nitroanilines both in aqueous media and on the solid support is essential. [13] However,t he planar aromatic core of the naphthalimide often undergo strong intermolecular p-p stacking interactions and can quencht he fluorescent properties in them. The concept of AIE/AIEE was first coinedi n2 001, where propeller-shaped molecules can go through aggregation in water and can effectively form highly fluorescent nanoparticles due to the restriction of intramolecular rotation (RIR).…”