title: Synthesis and Design of Aggregation-Induced Emission Surfactants: Direct Observation of Micelle Transitions and Microemulsion Droplets.
abstract: The direct visualization of micelle transitions is a long-standing challenge owing to the intractable aggregation-caused quenching of light emission in the micelle solution. Herein, we report the synthesis of a surfactant with a tetraphenylethene (TPE) core and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics. The transition processes of surfactant micelles and the microemulsion droplets (MEDs) formed by the surfactant with a TPE core were clearly visualized by a high-contrast fluorescence imaging method. The fluorescence intensity of the MEDs decreased as the size of MEDs increased as a result of weakening of the restriction of intramolecular rotation (RIR). The results of this study deepen our understanding of micelle-transition processes and provide solid evidence in favor of the hypothesis that the AIE phenomenon has its origin in the RIR of fluorophores in the aggregate state.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, P.O. Box 79, 100029, Beijing (China).
authors.forename: Weijiang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, P.O. Box 79, 100029, Beijing (China).
authors.forename: Wenjuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, P.O. Box 79, 100029, Beijing (China). luchao@mail.buct.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China). tangbenz@ust.hk.
authors.forename: Ben Zhong
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Tang
keywords: aggregation-induced emission; fluorescence; micelles; microemulsions; surfactants