局所環境の極性と粘性を“光”で同時可視化する蛍光分子を開発 ―複雑な環境情報を一度に読み取る色素の設計指針を確立―

2026-03-31 東京科学大学

東京科学大学などの研究チームは、局所環境の「極性」と「粘性」を同時に可視化できる新しい蛍光分子(ソルバトクロミック–AIE色素)を開発した。従来は別々にしか評価できなかった2つの特性を1分子で両立し、細胞膜や高分子材料の詳細な状態解析を可能にした。橋かけスチルベン構造にドナー・アクセプターを導入し、超高速分光測定と量子化学計算により、溶液中で発光しない原因や凝集時に発光する仕組みを解明。特に無輻射失活の制御が鍵であることを示し、分子設計指針を確立した。今後はバイオイメージングや材料評価への応用が期待される。

局所環境の極性と粘性を“光”で同時可視化する蛍光分子を開発 ―複雑な環境情報を一度に読み取る色素の設計指針を確立―
図. 本研究の概要

<関連情報>

Push-Pull型橋かけスチルベンを基盤とした小型ソルバトクロミック凝集誘起発光色素の設計と励起状態失活ダイナミクス Push–Pull Bridged Stilbenes as Small Solvatochromic Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogen: Design and Excited-state Deactivation Dynamics

Takuya Tanaka, Hirosato Koyanagi, Takumi Ehara, Tomohiro Ryu, Kiyoshi Miyata, Satoshi Suzuki, Kazunobu Igawa, Ken Onda, Gen-ichi Konishi
Aggregate  Published: 14 February 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/agt2.70295

ABSTRACT

Aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) are typically large π-conjugated molecules, but their low affinity and noninvasiveness toward analytes limit practical applications. To address this, smaller, more planar AIEgens are needed. Stilbene, though structurally suitable, lacks visible luminescence. Here, we report a minimally modified stilbene-based AIEgen—4-dipropylamino-4’-cyano-bridged stilbene (DpCBS[7])—that exhibits fluorescence solvatochromism and efficient AIE across a broad polarity range in the visible region. DpCBS[7] exhibits low quantum yields (Φfl = 0.01–0.04) in solvents from nonpolar n-hexane to polar dimethyl sulfoxide, with large Stokes shifts, viscosity-sensitive luminescence, and highly efficient solid-state luminescence (Φfl = 0.70). To elucidate its dual solvatochromic and AIE behavior, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy was conducted. In solution, DpCBS[7] displays transient absorption with lifetimes of 21 ps (toluene) and 56 ps (acetonitrile) at 293 K, indicating ultrafast nonradiative decay leading to low Φfl. Arrhenius analysis over the temperature range of 263–313 K revealed activation energies (ΔEa) of 9.90 kJ/mol in toluene and 12.8 kJ/mol in acetonitrile for the S1 → S0 decay of DpCBS[7]. The ΔEa values show no clear systematic dependence on solvent polarity. In contrast, pre-exponential factor A remains consistently high regardless of solvent polarity, indicating that the striking photophysical response is governed primarily by the pre-exponential factor rather than by modulation of the activation energy. These findings highlight the fundamental importance of tailoring the distribution function through structural modification as a robust strategy to control AIE characteristics.

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