Clusteroluminescent polymers for bio-applications

Polymers with clusteroluminescence (CL) characteristics are attractive in the biological field because of their structural diversity and high biocompatibility. Benefiting from the amplification effect of the polymer, CL polymers present promising advantages in biological applications. In this review, the frontiers and progress of CL polymers were firstly introduced. Then, the bio-related applications, including sensing, bioimaging both in vitro and in vivo, and therapeutic applications, in recent years were summarized in detail. Finally, the development trend and challenges were also briefly discussed. It is hoped that this review will accelerate the development of CL polymers and their applications in biological areas.