Fluorescent sensors with advantages of excellent sensitivity, rapid response, and easy operation are emerging as powerful tools in environmental monitoring, biological research, and disease diagnosis. However, conventional fluorophores featured with π-planar structures usually suffer from serious self-quenching in the aggregated state, poor photostability, and small Stokes' shift. In contrast to conventional aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) fluorophores, the newly emerged aggregation-induced emission fluorogens (AIEgens) are featured with high emission efficiency in the aggregated state, which provide unique opportunities for various sensing applications with advantages of high signal-to-noise ratio, strong photostability, and large Stokes' shift. In this review, we will first briefly give an introduction of the AIE concept and the turn-on sensing principles. Then, we will discuss the recent examples of AIE sensors according to types of analytes. Finally, we will give a perspective on the future developments of AIE sensors. We hope this review will inspire more endeavors to devote to this emerging world.
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