NIR-II AIEgens for Phototheranostics: Design, Applications and Perspectives

Zhao, Baoqing; Zeng, Xianchuan; Su, Yuyao; Ren, Kui; Zhang, Zhijun; Zhang, Fei; Wang, Dong

doi:10.3390/bios16040219

Open AccessReview

NIR-II AIEgens for Phototheranostics: Design, Applications and Perspectives

by

Baoqing Zhao

¹

,

Xianchuan Zeng

¹,

Yuyao Su

²,

Kui Ren

²,

Zhijun Zhang

²,

Fei Zhang

^1,*

and

Dong Wang

^2,*

¹

School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437100, China

²

Center for AIE Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Biosensors 2026, 16(4), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16040219

Submission received: 28 February 2026 / Revised: 3 April 2026 / Accepted: 8 April 2026 / Published: 14 April 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Luminescent Materials in Biological Detection, Imaging, and Diagnostic Applications)

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Abstract

The design of novel aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active molecules represents a cutting-edge strategy for integrated phototheranostics in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window. This review systematically outlines rational molecular engineering approaches based on D-A, D-A-D, and A-D-A systems to achieve red-shifted NIR-II absorption/emission, enhanced AIE characteristics, and balanced radiative and non-radiative decay pathways. These AIEgens enable high-contrast NIR-II fluorescence imaging (FLI) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) for precise tumor localization, while concurrently facilitating efficient photothermal therapy (PTT) and robust photodynamic therapy (PDT) through both type-I and type-II mechanisms. Nanoformulations of these molecules exhibit excellent stability, biocompatibility, and passive targeting via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. We further highlight representative “all-in-one” AIE platforms that demonstrate synergistic PTT/PDT under multimodal imaging guidance, offering a promising paradigm for precision cancer theranostics. Challenges and future directions in clinical translation and combination therapy are also discussed.

Keywords: second near-infrared (NIR-II); fluorescence imaging (FLI); photoacoustic imaging (PAI); photothermal therapy (PTT); photodynamic therapy (PDT); aggregation-induced emission (AIE)

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhao, B.; Zeng, X.; Su, Y.; Ren, K.; Zhang, Z.; Zhang, F.; Wang, D. NIR-II AIEgens for Phototheranostics: Design, Applications and Perspectives. Biosensors 2026, 16, 219. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16040219

AMA Style

Zhao B, Zeng X, Su Y, Ren K, Zhang Z, Zhang F, Wang D. NIR-II AIEgens for Phototheranostics: Design, Applications and Perspectives. Biosensors. 2026; 16(4):219. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16040219

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhao, Baoqing, Xianchuan Zeng, Yuyao Su, Kui Ren, Zhijun Zhang, Fei Zhang, and Dong Wang. 2026. "NIR-II AIEgens for Phototheranostics: Design, Applications and Perspectives" Biosensors 16, no. 4: 219. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16040219

APA Style

Zhao, B., Zeng, X., Su, Y., Ren, K., Zhang, Z., Zhang, F., & Wang, D. (2026). NIR-II AIEgens for Phototheranostics: Design, Applications and Perspectives. Biosensors, 16(4), 219. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16040219

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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NIR-II AIEgens for Phototheranostics: Design, Applications and Perspectives

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