Photoactivatable aggregation-induced emission fluorophores with multiple-color fluorescence and wavelength-selective activation.

Photoactivatable (caged) fluorophores are widely used in chemistry, materials, and biology. However, the development of such molecules exhibiting photoactivable solid-state fluorescence is still challenging due to the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect of most fluorophores in their aggregate or solid states. In this work, we developed caged salicylaldehyde hydrazone derivatives, which are of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics upon light irradiation, as efficient photoactivatable solid-state fluorophores. These compounds displayed multiple-color emissions and ratiometric (photochromic) fluorescence switches upon wavelength-selective photoactivation, and were successfully applied for photopatterning and photoactivatable cell imaging in a multiple-color and stepwise manner.