Fluorescent Nanowires from Dual‐State Emitting Fluorophores Directed by Molecular Motors and Aggregation‐Induced Emission: Produce Quantized Light Spectrum

Abstract

Luminescent materials require systems that exhibit both dual‐state emission (DSE) and aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) to overcome the limitation of aggregation‐caused quenching (ACQ). Herein, a molecular assembler capable of crafting nanowires that exhibit programmable fluorescence across a broad spectrum of colors in a precisely quantized manner is reported. Because it is a starburst dendritic box made of PAMAM dendrimer (P), controller (C) molecules, and motor (M) molecules, the assembler is called PCM. Here, Nile red is chosen as C and placed into the hollow core of the dendrimer; a double ratchet motor (DRM) is chosen as M and is connected to the N‐terminals of the PAMAM dendrimer. While aqueous dispersed PCM assemblers have broad fluorescence bands beyond 300 nm, their crafted nanowires produce quantized cyan‐green, yellow, and orange‐red light emission in the spectra. These PCM assemblers are shown to hold long‐term memory, rapid switching, and energy harvesting by modulating photonic bandgaps, causing a longer redshift in the solid phase. The DSE of PCM can yield versatile photonics applications like bioimaging and energy harvesting. As PCM nanowires can modulate photonic bandgaps to cause a longer redshift, PCM fluorophores hold promise for drug delivery and cell separation like infrared‐sensitive operations.