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Aggregation-induced Emission of Silole Molecules and Polymers: Fundamental and Applications

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Abstract

Aggregation generally quenches the light emissions of chromophoric molecules. In this review, we demonstrate that 1,1-disubstituted 2,3,4,5-tetraphenyl siloles and 2,5-difunctionalized siloles as well as their polymers exhibit the opposite behaviors. Instead of quenching, aggregation has greatly boosted their photoluminescence quantum yields by up to two orders of magnitude, turning them from faint fluorophores into strong emitters. Such “abnormal” phenomenon of “aggregation-induced emission (AIE)” is attributed to restricted intramolecular rotations of the peripheral phenyl rings against the central silole core, which block the nonradiative channel via the rotational energy relaxation processes and effectively populate the radiative decay of the excitons. Utilizing such a novel effect, siloles and their polymers find an array of applications as: sensors for chemicals, explosives, pH, and biomacromolecules (proteins, DNAs and RNAs), indicators for determining CMC and monitoring layer-by-layer self-assembling, biocompatible fluorogens for cell imaging, visualizing agent for DNA gel electrophoresis, biolabels for immunoassay, stimuli-responsive organic nanomaterials, magnetic fluorescent nanoparticles for potential bio-imaging and -separation, and outstanding materials for efficient OLEDs and PV cells.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partly supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (603008, 602707, 602706, 601608), the National Basic Research Program of the Ministry of Science & Technology of China (2002CB613401), and the National Science Foundation of China (20634020). B.Z.T. thanks the support from the Cao Guangbiao Foundation of Zhejiang University.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

    Jianzhao Liu, Jacky W. Y. Lam & Ben Zhong Tang

  2. Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Ben Zhong Tang

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Liu, J., Lam, J.W.Y. & Tang, B.Z. Aggregation-induced Emission of Silole Molecules and Polymers: Fundamental and Applications. J Inorg Organomet Polym 19, 249–285 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10904-009-9282-8

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