Clusteroluminescence in Organic, Inorganic, and Hybrid Systems: A Review

The current research on clusteroluminescence of nonconventional luminescent materials, which is associated with the occurrence of through-space conjugation due to the overlapping of electronic orbitals of atoms in aggregates formed at high concentrations of substances in solutions or solid states, is considered. It is shown that this phenomenon is typical for a wide range of substances, in particular, various low molecular weight organic compounds, polymers containing heteroatoms, inorganic substances and some hybrid (composite) materials. The possible practical use of clusteroluminogens in versatile fields is demonstrated, especially ecosystem monitoring, encryption materials, optoelectronics, medical and biological applications.