Abstract
Among the existing aggregation-induced emission luminogen archetypes, tetraphenylbenzene is one of the simplest and less studied for its aggregation-induced emission properties. In this study, we give insight into the structure-AIE relationship, focusing on the functionalization of the two free para positions of the benzene core of tetraphenylbenzene. Our study reveals that the flexibility and rigidity of the para substituents noticeably impact the aggregation-induced emission expression, allowing the inducement of either aggregation-induced emission enhancement or pure aggregation-induced emission.