Synthesis and Design of Aggregation‐Induced Emission Surfactants: Direct Observation of Micelle Transitions and Microemulsion Droplets

Abstract

The direct visualization of micelle transitions is along-standing challenge owing to the intractable aggregationcaused quenching of light emission in the micelle solution. Herein, we report the synthesis of asurfactant with atetraphenylethene (TPE) core and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics.T he transition processes of surfactant micelles and the microemulsion droplets (MEDs) formed by the surfactant with aT PE core were clearly visualizedb y ahigh-contrast fluorescence imaging method. The fluorescence intensity of the MEDs decreased as the size of MEDs increased as ar esult of weakening of the restriction of intramolecular rotation (RIR). The results of this study deepen our understanding of micelle-transition processes and provides olid evidence in favor of the hypothesis that the AIE phenomenon has its origin in the RIR of fluorophores in the aggregate state.

Aggregation‐Induced Emission for Visualization in Materials Science

“…However, there is still a lack of a visualization method with high contrast and resolution. Lu and co‐workers have designed an AIE‐active surfactant by incorporating TPE units into sodium dodecyl sulfonate molecules . The as‐prepared molecules exhibited both the characteristics for the surfactant and AIE molecules.…”

Aggregation‐Induced Emission Active Probe for Light‐Up Detection of Anionic Surfactants and Wash‐Free Bacterial Imaging

“…AIE‐active fluorescent probes have been widely used in chemical and biological sensing by formation of highly emissive aggregates with an excellent signal‐to‐noise ratio . For example, AIE‐active tetraphenylethene and hexaphenylsilole derivatives have been used to efficiently determine the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of surfactants, trace intracellular anticancer drug delivery, and monitor the shape‐transition processes of micelles . However, these AIE‐active probes can only light‐up when surfactant concentrations are above their individual CMC values.…”

Shape Memory Hydrogels with Simultaneously Switchable Fluorescence Behavior

“…Recently, fluorescence‐based methods have been widely used and shown great advantage in exploring the dynamic process such as self‐assembly, conformational changes . For instance, Tang and co‐workers have successfully observed the entire gelation process of chitosan LiOH‐urea aqueous system by aggregation‐induced emission fluorescent imaging .…”