Aggregation-induced emission on supramolecular coordination complexes platforms

In this chapter, we introduce the marriage between aggregation-induced emission and supramolecular coordination complexes, in which the two concepts melt into one that enables a new kind of light-emitting metal-organic materials based on discrete metallacycles and metallacages. On these platforms, influences of factors including geometrical, shape, anion, and nanoconfinement effects on material photophysics have all been well addressed. Therefore, promising applications such as sensors for nitroaromatics, heparin and amino acids, agents for cell imaging and theranostics, and light-emitting supramolecular polymers or biohybrid metal-organic materials with responsive fluorescence, have already been achieved. We believe that the emerging platform highlighted in this chapter not only provides insight into the understanding and application of aggregation-induced emission, but also serves as a foundation for light-emitting metal-organic materials.