Abstract: Conventional organic luminescent materials often suffer from fluorescence quenching due to π–π stacking in the aggregated state, severely limiting their performance in solid-state applications. The discovery of aggregation-induced emission(AIE) has provided a revolutionary approach to addressing this challenge. However, small-molecule AIE materials still face issues such as single functionality and limited structural tunability. To overcome these limitations, integrating AIE units with dendrimers featuring precise three-dimensional topologies, thus developing AIE-active dendrimers, has emerged as an important strategy for achieving efficient solid-state luminescence, multifunctional integration, and stimuli-responsive behavior. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in this field, with a focus on two representative systems: tetraphenylethene(TPE) and 9,10-distyrylanthracene(DSA). By examining their controllable synthesis strategies, multi-scale structural characterization methods, and structure-activity relationships, we elucidate how the precise dendritic framework can significantly enhance fluorescence quantum yield, tune emission color, and endow materials with excellent AIE performance by restricting intramolecular motion. Special emphasis is placed on the dynamic responsive properties enabled by the incorporation of rotaxane units, as well as their innovative applications in artificial light-harvesting systems, circularly polarized luminescence, and intelligent information encryption. Through precise structural design, AIE-active dendrimers not only effectively mitigate aggregation-caused quenching but also enable rational modulation of luminescent properties and synergistic integration of multiple functions. Finally, current challenges in precision synthesis, mechanistic understanding of dynamic behaviors, and translation into biomedical applications are outlined, and future development trends are discussed. This review aims to provide a valuable reference for the design and development of next-generation high-performance and intelligent luminescent materials.

Key words: Dendrimer; Rotaxane dendrimer, Aggregation-induced emission, Light-harvesting system; Circularly polarized luminescence