Vortex Fluidics-mediated Fluorescent Hydrogels with Aggregation-induced Emission Characteristics

The development of fluorescent (FL) hydrogels is at the center of recent efforts devoted to the invention of a new generation of biomaterials. FL hydrogels have numerous properties that are intrinsic to the gel structure, with the additional light-emitting property making them attractive for different applications. The focus of this book chapter is to review current studies associated with the development of FL hydrogels using aggregation-induced emission fluorogens (AIEgens) to ultimately suggest new directions for future research. This book chapter will explain new findings relevant to the application of AIEgens for fabrication and characterization of FL hydrogels that can be used as initiatives for the development of new platforms for material characterization using AIEgens. The first part of this chapter will discuss a new approach for tunning the size and FL properties of AIEgens that has a great impact on the fabrication of FL hydrogels with superior mechanical and fluorescence properties. The second part includes the application of AIEgens to characterize hydrogels including swelling, structural, and mechanical properties.