Optimal Method to Realize Quantitative Detection of 1D and 2D Nanoassemblies Based on AIE-Active Bolaamphiphilic Molecules

Xueqin Yang; Yang Han; Shoujun Lai; Wentao Zhang; Yuwen Fan; Shuai Liu; Kaidi Chen; Jinhui Tong; Ziqiang Lei; Xiaolin Guan

doi:10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c04421

Optimal Method to Realize Quantitative Detection of 1D and 2D Nanoassemblies Based on AIE-Active Bolaamphiphilic Molecules

Langmuir. 2025 Jan 2. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c04421. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Xueqin Yang^{1

2}, Yang Han¹, Shoujun Lai³, Wentao Zhang¹, Yuwen Fan¹, Shuai Liu¹, Kaidi Chen¹, Jinhui Tong¹, Ziqiang Lei¹, Xiaolin Guan¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment-Related Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, P. R. China.
² School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, P. R. China.
³ College of Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Arts and Science, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P. R. China.

PMID: 39748500
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c04421

Abstract

Controllable transformation between the bolaamphiphilic molecule assemblies with different morphological nanostructures represents an exciting new direction for materials. However, there are still significant challenges for the quantitative detection and real-time monitoring of a controllable nanoself-assembly process due to insufficient measuring methods. Herein, we propose a new and effective fluorescence technology for realizing quantitative detection of a controllable conversion process of one-dimensional (1D)/two-dimensional (2D) nanoassemblies by introducing AIEgens as the fluorescence signal part. First, an aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active bolaamphiphilic molecule (TPE-C8-Br) was designed and synthesized by incorporating tetraphenylethene (TPE) as the chromophore into the cationic amphiphile. Subsequently, the 1D nanofibrous morphology of TPE-C8-Br was successfully converted into the 2D rectangular and circular sheet of tosylate (TPE-C8-Ts) and sodium 1-hexanesulfonate (TPE-C8-HS) with the same molecular skeleton by the simple counterion change, respectively. Interestingly, all 2D nanoassemblies exhibited a stronger fluorescence sensitization effect than that of the 1D nanoassembly at the concentration above the critical micelle concentration (CMC) due to the higher degree of aggregation; thus, the rotation of the AIE-active TPE moiety is more restricted in TPE-C8-Ts and TPE-C8-HS. More meaningfully, a rather good linear correlation (FI = 3174.86 + 5282.29MP, R² = 0.999) and a quadratic correlation (FI = 2113.71 + 5163.56MP - 2966.07MP²) were obtained between the molar percentage (MP) of the 2D nanoassembly and the fluorescence intensity (FI). The two proposed methods respond very well with regard to dependability, which can be used for the quantitative calculation of the molar ratio of 1D and 2D components in the controllable nanoself-assembly process. Therefore, this work offers an efficient and practical method for realizing the dynamic monitoring and quantitative detection of mutual conversion between different nanoassemblies.