Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon‐based Soft Materials: Applications in Fluorescent Detection, Gelation, AIEE and Mechanochromism

The present review discusses selected compounds based on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); mainly those containing naphthalene, anthracene, fluorene, pyrene, triphenylene and perylene rings. The focus has been placed to highlight both properties and applications of such PAH-containing compounds in gelation, aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE) and mechanochromism as well as in fluorescence sensing of assorted analytes.