Herein we report three metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), TABD-MOF-1, -2, and -3, constructed from Mg(2+), Ni(2+), and Co(2+), respectively, and deprotonated 4,4'-((Z,Z)-1,4-diphenylbuta-1,3-diene-1,4-diyl)dibenzoic acid (TABD-COOH). The fluorescence of these three MOFs is tuned from highly emissive to completely nonemissive via ligand-to-metal charge transfer by rational alteration of the metal ion. Through competitive coordination substitution, the organic linkers in the TABD-MOFs are released and subsequently reassemble to form emissive aggregates due to aggregation-induced emission. This enables highly sensitive and selective detection of explosives such as five-membered-ring energetic heterocyclic compounds in a few seconds with low detection limits through emission shift and/or turn-on. Remarkably, the cobalt-based MOF can selectively sense the powerful explosive 5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-one with high sensitivity discernible by the naked eye (detection limit = 6.5 ng on a 1 cm(2) testing strip) and parts per billion-scale sensitivity by spectroscopy via pronounced fluorescence emission.

A water-soluble, 'turn-on' fluorescent chemosensor based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has been developed. It exhibits rapid response, excellent selectivity, and sensitivity to Al(3+).

The relationship between the structures and light emission properties of five aryl-substituted pyrrole derivatives was studied during aggregation in THF-water mixtures. Only pentaphenylpyrrole clearly shows, however, an aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) phenomenon. On comparison of the optical properties and single-crystal structures of these pyrrole derivatives, it is suggested that the more twisted configuration which prevented parallel orientation of conjugated chromophores combined with the restricted intramolecular rotation (RIR) effect was the main cause of the AIEE phenomenon.