“Irregular” aggregation-induced emission luminogens

Highly efficient luminescent materials have garnered considerable interest due to their special photophysical properties and potential applications. Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is a photophysical phenomenon, in which concentrated or aggregated molecules produce enhanced light emission. In this review, we will introduce recent articles from the exciting area of AIE over the past five years, including a discussion of the underlying luminescence mechanism and potential applications. Given that the mechanism of these systems is the focus of much scientific interest, we will systematically summarize the latest research achievements directed towards investigating the luminescence mechanism of these AIE luminogens (AIEgens). We believe this review will be of particular interest to chemists and chemical engineers in the AIE community in addition to researchers working with biological systems.