Introducing a Teaching Experiment: Concise Synthesis of AIE Fluorescent Compound and Its Acid–Base Response

This study presents a hands-on experiment for second-year undergraduates to synthesize an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) compound and understand its AIE property and acid–base response behavior. The optimized procedure offers significant advantages: visually distinct reaction phenomena, mild conditions, enhanced safety, a total time requirement of approximately 3 h, and reasonable reagent cost. This experiment integrates fundamental theoretical concepts, including nucleophilic addition, carbanion chemistry, aggregation-induced emission (AIE), and the Knoevenagel condensation reaction. It encompasses essential laboratory techniques, such as thin-layer chromatography (TLC), crystallization purification, and UV–visible/fluorescence spectroscopy analysis. This experiment resolves key pedagogical limitations of the traditional experiment and embodies the curriculum reform principles of ″high-order thinking, innovation, and intellectual challenge″ through interdisciplinary integration, exemplified by the introduction of AIE luminescence observation. This experiment provides a high-quality case study for organic chemistry laboratory instruction.