Fig. 2: The amphiphilic self-assembly and photophysical studies of compound 1.

a Schematic representation of the self-assembly behavior of compound 1 in an aqueous solution. b DLS data of compound 1 in an aqueous solution (25 °C, 0.1 mM). c TEM images of compound 1 that self-assembles to form vesicles, in an aqueous solution (25 °C, 0.1 mM). d Concentration-varied UV–Vis spectra of compound 1 in aqueous solutions from 5 μM (black solid line) to 13.5 μM (red solid line), indicating self-assembly of compound 1. The inset shows a plot of the extinction coefficient ε versus the concentration, revealing the critical aggregation concentration. e Concentration-varied fluorescence spectra of compound 1 in aqueous solutions (from 5 to 13.5 μM), λ_ex = 365 nm. Inset: the plot of the fluorescence intensity at 530 nm versus the concentration, revealing the critical aggregation concentration as 9 μM. f CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram of compound 1 with increasing concentration (from 5 to 13.5 μM). Inset shows the visible fluorescence of compound 1 (left: 5 μM, right: 13.5 μM) under the exposure of a 365 nm light.