A multifunctional fluorescent molecule with AIE characteristics for SO2 derivatives detection, fluorescence ink and latent fingerprint imaging

With the increasing interest and demand for multifunctional fluorescence materials, a judicious and facile design is essential but still challenging. Herein, a new multifunctional fluorescence molecule (TCMn) with AIE characteristics was rationally designed and synthesized. TCMn could not only specifically recognize exogenous and endogenous SO2 derivatives (HSO3- /SO32-) in living cells, but also could be used as a fluorescent ink. The TCMn solution as a fluorescence ink exhibited excellent fluorescence stability and resistance to photobleaching. More importantly, TCMn was used for visualizing latent fingerprints on different object surfaces. This work provides a new strategy for molecular design and development of multifunctional fluorescent molecular materials for practical applications.