The research direction of Professor Ding's group is the design, preparation and biomedical application of novel molecular imaging probes. We mainly develop new molecular imaging probes based on "aggregation-induced luminescence" fluorescent molecules and semiconductor conjugated polymers, and devote to the development of new materials and methods that can be applied to the diagnosis and treatment of tumors, tissue ischemia and other important diseases.

This subject research is based on the energy flow to molecular engineering as the core, based on "aggregation induced luminescence (an AIE)", the basic principles of developing a new strategy of biomedical optical functional materials to build and implement the disease early diagnosis, surgical navigation, disease markers, cancer, radiation and chemotherapy in vitro were tested sensitization treatment, disease immunity biomedical, etc.

Based on the basic principles of AIE, Ding Dan's research group designed and prepared a series of new organic polymer optical materials, combined with biomedical polymers, and developed molecular/nanoprobes that can be used for fluorescence imaging, photoacoustic imaging and long afterglow luminescence imaging. It has been used in surgical navigation, stem cell tracing, disease-related biomolecular detection, disease diagnosis and treatment, and other biomedical applications. The research characteristics of our group are Jablonski photophysical map guidelines, through molecular structure design and regulation of molecular packing in biological systems to achieve the controllability and optimization of biomedical functions. To explore the internal relationship between excited state intramolecular motion and biomedical function and effect; It also focuses on the specific responsiveness of molecular/nanoprobes to the disease microenvironment.

(1) To achieve the controllability and optimization of biomedical functions by regulating the photophysical properties of organic polymer optical materials.

(2) Based on the basic principle of AIE, realize the biomedicine of organic polymer materials containing "intramolecular motile units".