Biocompatible luminogens
with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) have several applications
in the biology field, such as in detecting biomacromolecules bioprobes
and in bio-imaging. Due to their bioactivities and light-emitting
properties, many heterocyclic compounds are good candidates for such
applications. However, heterocyclic π-conjugated systems with
AIE behavior remain rare as strong intermolecular π–π
interactions usually quench their emission. In this work, new thienopyrimidine
heterocyclic compounds were synthesized and their structures were
verified by elemental analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and 13C NMR
spectra. The photophysical properties of some compounds were investigated
in the solution and solid states. Density functional theory calculations
were also performed to confirm the observed photophysical properties
of the compounds. The studied dyes displayed AIE properties with spectral
shapes related to the aggregate structure and a quantum yield up to
10.8%. The emission efficiency of the powder is attributed to the
incorporation of multiply rotatable and twisted aryl groups to the
fused heterocyclic moieties. The dyes also showed high thermal stability
and potent antimicrobial activities against numerous bacterial and
fungal strains. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of the new compounds
was evaluated against the Caco-2 cell line, and molecular docking
was used to investigate the binding conformation of the most effective
compound with the MNK2 enzyme. Therefore, the presented structures
may potentially be used for bioapplications.