Aggregation-induced emission: An emerging concept in brain science

As an emerging concept in brain science, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has captivated much interest by virtue of the unique superiority of AIE fluorophores in terms of emission intensity, imaging resolution, biocompatibility and photosensitivity. This review mainly overviews the current state-of-art advances of AIE fluomphores achieving the superb performance in brain imaging and therapy, which facilitate deep tissue penetration, high contrast to autofluorescence and efficient blood-brain barrier (BBB) crossing by rational molecular design and functionalized strategies. We expect this review serve as a modest spur to push forward the blooming growth of research in this fertile field.

Automated summary

This review discusses the recent advances in aggregation-induced emission (AIE) for brain imaging and therapy. AIE fluorophores, through rational design and functionalized strategies, demonstrate superior properties such as deep tissue penetration, high contrast to autofluorescence, and efficient blood-brain barrier crossing.