Amphiphilic polymers with hydrophilic poly(N-isopropylacylamide) (PNIPAM) shell connecting hydrophobic tetraphenylthiophene (TP) core, which has the novel aggregation-induced emission (AIE) property, by ionic bonds were prepared to explore the AIE-operative emission responses toward critical micelle concentration (CMC) and lower critical solution temperature (LCST). To exercise the idea, ammonium-functionalized TP2NH(3)(+) and sulfonate-terminated PNIPAM were separately prepared and mixed in different molar ratios to yield three amphiphilic TP-PNIPAMn complexes for the evaluations of CMC and LCST by fluorescence responses. The nonemissive dilute aqueous solutions of TP-PNIPAMn became fluorescent when increasing concentrations above CMC. Heating micelles solution to temperatures above LCSTs causes further enhancement on the emission intensity. The fluorescence responses are explained by the extent of aggregation in the micelles and in the globules formed at room temperature and at high temperatures, respectively.

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PSQu-PBS in THF/hexane increase with the increasing hexane content. Copolymer micelles formed in THF/hexane mixtures are supposed to have higher extent of aggregation, leading to more pronounced AEE effect than micelles formed in THF/ H 2 O . Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy was conducted on PSQu-PBS and PSQu solutions to evaluate the respective lifetimes involved in the excited monomer and aggregated species and to compare the extent of aggregation in all sample solutions. Solid PSQu-PBS samples prepared from 80 vol.%- H 2 O and –hexane solutions of PSQu-PBS were then inspected by TEM to reveal their morphological difference and its influence on the extent of aggregation leading to the AIE effect.