Peptide Based AIEgens: From Molecular Design, Stimuli Responsiveness to Biomedical Application

Luminogens with aggregation-induced emission (AIEgens) have a wide range of biomedical applications in bioimaging, photodynamic anticancer, antibacterial therapy, and other fields, owing to their unique photo-physical properties. The precise structural design and modification of AIE molecules have aroused great interest in the past years. As peptides-AIE hybrid materials, peptide-based AIEgens generally have better solubility, biocompatibility, and lower systemic toxicity. The functional diversity, modularity, and portability of peptides provide more possibilities for the intelligent structure and functional design of AIEgens. This review summarizes the recent research progress of peptide-based AIEgens nanomaterials, from molecular design, stimuli responsiveness to biomedical application, focusing on the advantages of peptides and AIE molecules as conjugates. Finally, a summary of the challenges and opportunities of peptide-based AIEgens nanomaterials for future clinical biomedical applications is presented.