Novel binary self-assembled electro-optic (EO) dendrimers were developed to maximize the acentric order of chromophores with large hyperpolarizabilities and strong dipole–dipole interactions. To achieve high EO coefficient, a multichromophore dendritic structure and supramolecular self-assembly strategy through π–π stacking of fluoroaromatics and aromatics were adopted to minimize dipole–dipole interaction of the chromophores at high loading density. In these dendrimers, three tetraene chromophores were substituted with an aromatic dendron (HD) or a fluoroaromatic dendron (FD) on the donor ends as the peripheral groups. The neat dendrimer films show excellent film-forming ability and a higher refractive index (n = 1.81 for FDSD and n = 1.86 for HDSD at 1310 nm) compared with guest–host EO polymers (n ≈ 1.6, 1310 nm). Higher n is beneficial for reducing the driving voltage for Mach–Zehnder modulators. By doping a secondary chromophore (HJD, 25 wt%) into neat dendrimers and blending two dendrimers together with 1 : 1 ratio (wt), three kinds of binary EO materials were prepared to afford better EO performance and larger index of refraction without phase separation. Due to supramolecular self-assembly through FD–HD π–π interactions, the poled binary film of 1 : 1 HDSD : FDSD exhibited a very large EO coefficient value up to 289 pm V⁻¹ together with a large refractive index (n = 2.01) at 1310 nm, which represents a very high n³r₃₃ figure-of-merit of 2347 pm V⁻¹ at 1310 nm. Meanwhile, a non-covalently crosslinked network was formed by the HD–FD π–π interactions which afforded an improved long-term alignment stability. After annealing at room temperature for 1000 h, about 97% of the initial r₃₃ values could be still maintained for the poled films of 1 : 1 HDSD : FDSD. The high poling efficiency and temporal EO stability combined with refractive index make them promising candidates for application in photonic devices.

By functionalizing triarylboron with cyclen, we developed a two-photon fluorescence probe, TAB-2, which can selectively bind RNA with a ratiometric readout. We tested TAB-2 in NIH/3T3 fibroblast cells, and demonstrated its capability in visualizing nucleoli and analyzing microenvironment polarity by two-photon and fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy.

The clinical applications of phototherapy nanomaterials are still limited due to concerns regarding their phototoxicity and efficacy. Herein, we report a novel type of D–π–A molecular backbone that induces type I/II photosensitivity and photodegradability by forming J-aggregates. The photodegradation rate can be regulated by changing the donor groups to regulate the photosensitivity of their aggregates because the photodegradability performance results from their oxidation by ¹O₂ generated by their type II photosensitivity. AID4 NPs possess faster photodegradation because of their better type I&II photosensitivity, which can also self-regulate by inhibiting type II and improving type I under hypoxic conditions. Moreover, they exhibited good photothermal and photoacoustic performance for improving their therapeutic effect by a synergistic effect and achieving photoacoustic imaging in vivo. The experimental result also showed that they can be effective for antibacterial and anti-tumor treatment and the photodegradation products of AID4 NPs possess low biological toxicity in the dark or under light. This study could provide a novel strategy for improving the safety and treatment effects of phototherapy.