cellular processes and are also considered as crucial regulators of cell homeostasis. The current strategies for monitoring activities of lysosomes exhibit some limitations. Herein, we synthesized a novel fluorescent probe named 2M‐DPAS with AIE characteristics, which was proved to have significant advantages of good biocompatibility, high selectivity, bright emission and excellent photostability. Based
The emissive properties of fluorophores in aggregated state are important for the development of biosensors or bio-imaging reagents. So three water-soluble TPE derivatives with different lengths of side chains have been synthesized and we investigated the effects of side chains on aggregation-induced emission (AlE) properties in the aggregated states. The results indicate that side chains on the fluorophores play a pivotal role in their emission in aggregated state mediated by heparin or solid state, because the coplanarity of these TPE derivatives was affected by side chains. The rates of radiative decay k(f) and non-radiative decay k(nr) have been obtained through the quantum yields and lifetime, and a larger k(f) and smaller k(nr) were present for compound TPE-C4N, suggesting that the aggregated TPE-C4N should posses the most remarkable fluorescent property. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.