大多数具有荧光的化合物在稀溶液中具有强荧光，但在高浓度或制备成薄膜或其他聚集态后，荧光大大减弱甚至淬灭。这种现象被称为聚集淬灭效应（aggregation-caused quenching, ACQ）。研究者们采用各种物理、化学及改变工艺等手段来削弱ACQ效应的负面影响，但收效甚微。聚集诱导发光(aggregation induced emission，AIE)现象的发现为解决这一问题提供了新的途径。本论文涉及新AIE化合物的设计合成、AIE化合物在重金属传感器方面的应用及AIE机理研究。首先，以环状酸酐为起始原料合成了三种含共轭结构氧杂环的AIE化合物并分别研究了它们在溶液中及不同聚集状态下的发光行为。三种化合物随着共轭程度的增加，发光颜色从蓝色转变为黄绿色直至黄色。其次，设计合成了带邻苯二甲酸结构的AIE化合物OATPE、PATPE和EATPE，能直接在纯水中检测微量的铅离子。其中OATPE、PATPE检测Pb2+的最低检出限达到4 μM，同时对水中Pb2+的检测具有良好的选择性；EATPE检测Pb2+的最低检出限接近国际饮用水中Pb2+的含量标准要求，能达到0.1μM，同时EATPE还可以检测水中存在的其他重金属离子例如Cd2+，对毒性较大的重金属离子检测具有普适性。最后，设计合成了分子内旋转受限的模型化合物OTPE，以氧桥来固定TPE分子中苯环的旋转，OTPE在纯溶液中的发光强度是TPE的800多倍，从而证实了AIE现象产生的机理是由于分子内苯环的旋转受到限制。

Emissions of normal dyes are weakened or totally quenched upon increased concentration of fabricated to thin films which is notoriously known as aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). Much effort have been devoted to the restricted the aggregation of dyes, however, limited success have been made, as aggregation is a natural process of flat hydrophobic dyes. Prof. Tang reported the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and provided a new route to overcome the ACQ problem. Here we synthesized new AIE molecules, studied the sensing ability of AIE molecules for Pb2+ and mechanism of AIE phenomenon.Firstly，Conjugated oxygen heterocyclic AIE molecules are synthesized from cyclic　anhydride. The photophysical properties of these molecules in the solution and aggregate states were investigated. Emission of these molecules changed from blue to green and then yellow with increasing conjugation degree.Secondly, Three new tetraphenylethylene (TPE) derivatives bearing phthalic acid structure exhibit sensitivity for Pb2+ with turning on fluorescence in water. EATPE detected Pb2+ with concentration as low as 0.1μM, which closed to the drinking-water standard of WHO (the World Health Organization). Other toxicity heavy metal ions in water such as Cd2+ was also detected by EATPE.Finally, a TPE derivatives (OTPE) was designed and synthesized. By internally hindering the intramolecular rotation, OTPE is strongly luminescent in solutions, whose PL intensity in THF is 800 times than TPE in acetonitrile.