A novel multifunctional drug delivery system has been constructed by assembling per-6-thio-β-cyclodextrin-modified ultrasmall CuS nanoparticles (CD-CuS) onto fluorescent AIEgen-containing mesoporous silica nanoparticles (FMSN). The CD-CuS nanoparticles are anchored on the surface of benzimidazole-grafted FMSN, acting as a gatekeeper and photothermal agent. The prepared blue-emitting nanocomposite (FMSN@CuS) exhibits good biocompatibility and cell imaging capability. Anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) molecules are loaded into FMSN@CuS, and zero prerelease at physiological pH (7.4) and on-demand drug release at an acidic environment can be achieved due to the pH-responsive gate-opening of CD-CuS only at an acidic condition. The FMSN@CuS nanocomposite can generate obvious thermal effect after the exposure of 808 nm laser, which can also accelerate the DOX release. Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity of DOX-loaded FMSN@CuS increases with the release of DOX, and the intracellular drug release process can be tracked according to the change of luminescence intensity. More importantly, DOX-loaded FMSN@CuS displays efficient anticancer effects in vitro upon 808 nm laser irradiation, demonstrating a good synergistic therapeutic effect via combining enhanced chemotherapy and photothermal therapy.

AIE and ACQ chromophores with exactly opposite photoluminescence behaviours are integrated in mesostructured organosilicas for multicolour emission including high-quality white light.

A series of new defect-engineered metal−organic frameworks (DEMOFs) were synthesized by framework doping with truncated linkers employing the mixed-linker approach. Two tritopic defective (truncated) linkers, biphenyl-3,3′,5-tricarboxylates (L H ) lacking a ligating group and 5-(5-carboxypyridin-3yl)isophthalates (L Py ) bearing a weaker interacting ligator site, were integrated into the framework of Cu 2 (BPTC) (NOTT-100, BPTC = biphenyl-3,3′,5,5′-tetracarboxylates). Incorporating L H into the framework mainly generates missing metal node defects, thereby obtaining dangling COOH groups in the framework. However, introducing L Py forms more modified metal nodes featuring reduced and more accessible Cu sites. In comparison with the pristine NOTT-100, the defect-engineered NOTT-100 (DE-NOTT-100) samples show two unique features: (i) functional groups (the protonated carboxylate groups as the Brønsted acid sites or the pyridyl N atoms as the Lewis basic sites), which can act as second active sites, are incorporated into the MOF frameworks, and (ii) more modified paddlewheels, which provided extra coordinatively unsaturated sites, are generated. The cooperative functioning of the above characteristics enhances the catalytic performance of certain types of reactions. For a proof of concept, two exemplary reactions, namely, the cycloaddition of CO 2 with propylene oxide to propylene carbonate and the cyclopropanation of styrene, were carried out to evaluate the catalytic activities of those DE-NOTT-100 materials depending on the defect structure.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalised with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogen via a carbon-nitrogen double bond are fabricated into films by a dip-coating method. The as-made films can serve as efficient fluorescent sensors for the naked-eye detection of volatile acid gases by colour and emission changes, as well as for the detection of 2,4-dinitrotoluene vapours by fluorescence quenching.