Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) stands for an intriguing phenomenon in which a series of non-emissive molecules in solutions are induced to emit strongly in the aggregate or solid state. The concept of AIE was first coined by author Ben Zhong Tang in 2001, when he and his co-workers serendipitously discovered that 1-methyl-1,2,3,4,5-pentaphenylsilole was almost non-emissive in ethanol solution but became extremely bright in water-ethanol mixtures.

Over the past 15 years, AIE has grown into a research field with high visibility and broad impact across both science and technology. Aggregation-Induced Emission: Materials and Applications summarizes the recent advances in AIE research, ranging from fundamentals, such as design, synthesis, and optical properties of AIE-active molecules, to mechanism studies supported by modeling and experimental investigations, and further to promising applications in the fields of energy, environment, and biology.

The topics covered in Volume 2 include: AIE polymers; AIE-induced chirogenesis; Room-temperature phosphorescent AIE molecules; Liquid crystalline AIE molecules; AIE materials for energy devices; New chemo- and biosensors with AIE molecules; Cell structure and function imaging with AIE molecules; and AIE materials in drug delivery and therapy.