Aggregation-Induced Emission-Active Fluorescent Polymer: Multi-Targeted Sensor and ROS Scavenger

Abstract

A multi-functional polymer with aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active salicylaldehyde azine (SA) functionality and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive thioether groups is readily prepared via thiol-ene click polymerization of SA derivative diacrylate monomer, poly­(ethylene glycol) diacrylate, and 3,6-dioxa-1,8-octanedithiol. The obtained AIE-active polymer exhibited an unexpected strong emission in amide solvents compared to that in other common organic solvents that was dramatically decreased by adding a trace amount of water, suggesting that the polymer could be utilized as a water trace indicator in amide solvents. In the backbone, the PEG segments make the polymer well dispersed in water and the ROS-responsive thioether groups enable this polymer as a promising ROS scavenger, with embedded SA moieties as a fluorescent indicator for the hemolysis determination. Due to the ability of SA moieties to complex with Cu2+, this AIE polymer can also be utilized as a fluorescent sensor for selective Cu2+ detection in real-world water samples. Thus, this multi-functional polymer is anticipated to be well applied in biological and environmental applications.

Insights into Optical Probes Based on Aggregation‐Induced Emission: from Restriction of Intramolecular Motions to Dark State

“…[23][24][25][26] Applying RIM as a designing principle, a bunch of new facile synthesized AIEgens shows excellent photophysical properties as well as great potential in analytical chemistry and biological application. [27][28][29] However, AIE is a common term to describe a phenomenon which occur as a consequence of manifold processes such as J-type aggregates, RIR, RIV, or E/Z isomerization. [10,[30][31][32][33][34] For instance, the AIE processes of TPE involved both RIR and E/Z isomerization.…”

White light-induced AIEgen polyurethane films containing Schiff base copper(ii) complexes for synergistic chemo/photodynamic antibacterial therapy

“…On the one hand, the early literature has shown that Cu 2+ has high selectivity for typical N-and O-chelate ligands compared with other ions. 43 On the other hand, TPAPU/Cu 0.3 composite films have good antibacterial properties not only due to the antibacterial activity of Schiff base ligands themselves but the enhancement of antibacterial properties by chelation. It could be found that almost all three bacteria were killed under white light irradiation, which was a combination of chemical and photodynamic therapy in bacteria.…”

Aggregation‐Induced Emission Luminogens with Photoresponsive Behaviors for Biomedical Applications

“…Polymers with salicylaldehyde azine (SA) groups also exhibit AIE properties similar to those of small molecules. An SA-containing polymer, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA)-ODT-SADA, was previously reported to act as a multitargeted fluorescent sensor, [36] where PEGDA was introduced to improve the polymer solubility. As the thioether groups are sensitive to ROS, a polymer containing thioether groups responded to ROS.…”