Recent advances in aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based chemosensors for the detection of organic small molecules

The discovery of the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomenon in many classes of organic molecules has revolutionized our understanding of the photoluminescence properties of materials. These breakthroughs have opened up new possibilities for real-life applications and state-of-the-art technologies. AIE luminogens (AIEgens) have emerged as highly useful tools, effectively overcoming the limitations of conventional aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) luminogens. They find applications in various fields such as biomedical uses, optoelectronics, stimuli-responsive materials, and chemosensing. In particular, the development of highly sensitive and selective AIE fluorescent probes has significantly complemented conventional instrumental analysis methods, offering low-cost, convenient, and rapid detection of target analytes. With intensive research efforts in this area, a wide range of small molecule analytes, including biologically important molecules, drug molecules, volatile organic compounds, and explosives, can now be detected. This review aims to provide an overview of the progress made in the development of AIE-based organic small molecule probes over the past five years.