Quantum mechanics

Engineering

Bacteria

Biology

Identification (biology)

Materials science

Pathogen

Tetraphenylethylene

Systems engineering

Botany

Genetics

Combinatorial chemistry

Physics

Nanotechnology

Optics

Listeria monocytogenes

Microbiology

Fluorescence

Aggregation-induced emission

Foodborne pathogen

Chemistry

Biological system

Optoelectronics

Advanced Functional Materials

Lacking rapid and reliable pathogen diagnostic platforms, inadequate or delayed antimicrobial therapy could be made, which greatly threatens human life and accelerates the emergence of antibiotic‐resistant pathogens. In this contribution, a series of simple and reliable sensor arrays based on tetraphenylethylene (TPE) derivatives are successfully developed for detection and discrimination of pathogens. Each sensor array consists of three TPE‐based aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) that bear cationic ammonium group and different hydrophobic substitutions, providing tunable log P ( n ‐octanol/water partition coefficient) values to enable the different multivalent interactions with pathogens. On the basis of the distinctive fluorescence response produced by the diverse interaction of AIEgens with pathogens, these sensor arrays can identify different kinds of pathogens, even normal and drug‐resistant bacteria, with nearly 100% accuracy. Furthermore, blends of pathogens can also be identified accurately. The sensor arrays exhibit rapid response (about 0.5 h), high‐throughput, and easy‐to‐operate without washing steps.

Engineering Sensor Arrays Using Aggregation‐Induced Emission Luminogens for Pathogen Identification