A Bifunctional Aggregation‐Induced Emission Luminogen for Monitoring and Killing of Multidrug‐Resistant Bacteria

Antibiotic compounds having both antibiotic and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics. The compounds comprise an azole antibiotic unit, for example naphthalimide triazole (NT), and an AIE unit, for example triphenylethylene (TriPE). The compounds act as an effective AIEgen with ROS generating capabilities. The present combinations of an azole antibiotic unit and an AIE unit do not negatively affect the antibacterial properties of the azole. Accordingly, the present compounds exterminate bacteria with both the antibacterial mechanism of the azole along with the ROS produced when the AIE unit is exposed to light. In addition, the intrinsic imagining ability of the present compounds enables them to be used as imaging tools to monitor the drug-bacteria interaction. Collectively, the present compounds provide multiple functions including imaging, monitoring, and bacterial infection inhibition for integrated diagnosis and treatment in clinical practices.