A Two-Stage Functional\nNanomaterial Utilized for Ethanolamine\nScavenging and Formaldehyde Detection via the AILE Mechanism

Based on the principle of intermolecular interactions\nof the aggregation-induced\nlocally excited emission (AILE) luminescence mechanism, two-stage\nfunctional conjugated polymers (CPs) capable of scavenging ethanolamine\n(ETA) and nanoprobes with detecting formaldehyde (FA) were designed\nand developed. The two-stage functional PFOP-NEt3(+)-based nanomaterial\nis simple to synthesize, easy to use, versatile, atom-economical,\nphotostability, and biocompatible. In the first stage, conjugated\npolymers can process and stabilize the water pollutant ethanolamine.\nIn the second stage, the nanoparticles formed by self-assembling conjugated\npolymers with ethanolamine can produce specific and sensitive responses\nto formaldehyde. They can detect formaldehyde in normal and cancer\ncells. This two-stage functional material, which has a high atom economy,\nis expected to be a specific detection probe for formaldehyde in vivo\nand ex vivo and can remove ethanolamine from aqueous environments\nand cells.