Parvej Alam

Assistant professor:  December 2025- continue, Tsinghua SIGS， Institute of Materials Research

Assistant professor:  November 2023- continue, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Materials Chemistry, Visiting Assistant professor

Our research centers on aggregation science to engineer advanced luminescent materials by transforming molecular interactions into functional photophysical properties. Through precise control of aggregation states, we develop materials with tunable emission (visible to NIR), ultralong afterglow (hours), and circularly polarized luminescence for applications in bioimaging, phototherapy, optical security, 3D displays, and X-ray scintillation.

Our current research directions include:

· AIE materials for bioimaging and phototherapy: (i) Visible/NIR-I/II emissive AIE probes for in vitro organelle imaging and in vivo deep-tissue tracking; (ii) AIE photosensitizers for photodynamic/photothermal cancer theranostics.

· Ultralong room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP): Single-component and host-guest systems with persistent afterglow for time-resolved imaging, anti-counterfeiting, and encryption.

· Chiral luminescent materials: Rigid chiral scaffolds with circularly polarized phosphorescence for 3D displays, optical data storage, and chiral photonics.

· Transition metal complexes: Earth-abundant metal hybrids for OLEDs, triplet photosensitization, and radiation detection via scintillation.

· Long-Persistent Luminescent Aggregate Materials

Excellent Young Scientists Fund Program (Overseas), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Duration: 2023/01–2025/12,Total Funding: ¥2,000,000, Role: Principal Investigator, Host Institution: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

· 聚集诱导发光智能与感知材料研发与应用

Guangdong Provincial Key Research and Development Program, Duration: 2024/01–2027/01, Total/Personal Funding: ¥15,000,000 / ¥1,100,000, Role: Key Participant (11/13), PI: Prof. Ben Zhong Tang, Host Institution: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

· Detection of Alzheimer's Disease-Linked Biomarkers Using Platinum(II)-Based Near-Infrared AIEgens

Longgang District Technology Research Project, Duration: 2024/01–2025/12, Total Funding: ¥320,000, Role: Principal Investigator, Host Institution: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

· Development of New Persistent and Efficient Pure Organic Red/NIR Phosphorescent Materials for Biomedical Applications

Research Fund for International Young Scientists, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Duration: 2022/01–2024/12, Total Funding: ¥400,000, Role: Principal Investigator, Host Institution: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

[1] Ziyue Ye, Chengpeng Qiu, Parvej Alam*, Ben Zhong Tang*, et al. Counterion-Driven Long-Term Imaging of Cell Membranes and Migrasomes Using Dicationic NIR AIEgens. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2025, 147(31): 28442-28453.

[2] Mengli Liu, Rongyuan Zhang, Parvej Alam*, Ben Zhong Tang*, et al. NIR-II Imaging-Guided Self-Penetrating Nanomotors for Millimeter-Scale Deep Thrombolysis Tracking and Accelerated Embolus Clearance. Advanced Materials, 2025, 2512075.

[3] Haifei Wen, Ziwei Deng, Parvej Alam*, Ben Zhong Tang*, et al. Sulfur-π Interaction: A New Strategy for Designing NIR-II AIE Photosensitizer for Wound Healing. Advanced Functional Materials, 2025, 2508015.

[4] Zihao Deng, Fan-Cheng Kong, Parvej Alam*, Ben Zhong Tang*, et al. Visualizing Triplet Energy Transfer in Organic Near-Infrared Phosphorescent Host-Guest Materials. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025, e202412182.

[5] Gian Albert Alfani, Ziyu Cui, Parvej Alam*, Ben Zhong Tang* et al. Recent advances in room-temperature phosphorescence in organophosphorus aggregatesChem. Commun., 2025,61, 17770-17786

[6] Zihao Deng, Jianyu Zhang, Parvej Alam*, Ben Zhong Tang*, et al. Dynamic Transition Between Monomer and Excimer Phosphorescence in Organic Near-Infrared Phosphorescent Crystals. Advanced Materials, 2024, 2311384.

[7] Anthony WK Law, Tsz Shing Cheung, Parvej Alam*, Ben Zhong Tang*, et al. Sergeant-and-Soldier Effect in an Organic Room-Temperature Phosphorescent Host-Guest System. Advanced Materials, 2024, 2410739.

[8] Dan Liu, Wen-Jin Wang, Parvej Alam, Ben Zhong Tang*, et al. Highly Efficient Circularly Polarized Near-infrared Phosphorescence in Both Solution and Aggregate. Nature Photonics, 2024, 18: 1276-1284.

[9]  Parvej Alam, Tsz Shing Cheung, Ben Zhong Tang*, et al. Organic Long-Persistent Luminescence from a Single-Component Aggregate. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2022, 144(7): 3050-3062.

[10] Parvej Alam, Nelson LC Leung, Ben Zhong Tang*, et al. Two Are Better Than One: A Design Principle for Ultralong-Persistent Luminescence of Pure Organics. Advanced Materials, 2020, 2001026. 

[1] Ben Zhong Tang, Parvej Alam, Guangle Niu, et al. Fluorescent Red-Emissive Compounds for Cellular Organelle Imaging. China Patent CN114040962B, granted 2024-06-19.

[2] Parvej Alam, Nelson LC Leung, Ben Zhong Tang. Organic Long Afterglow Luminous Composition. China Patent CN202010438665.6A, granted 2023-07-18.

[3] Parvej Alam, Nelson LC Leung, Ben Zhong Tang. AIE-Active Chemosensor for Amine Detection and Related Food Safety Monitoring. US Patent US20200062718A1, granted 2022-05-17.

[4] Parvej Alam, Nelson LC Leung, Ben Zhong Tang. AIE-Active Chemosensor for Amine Detection and Related Food Safety Monitoring. China Patent CN201880023680.5A, granted 2022-10-25.

[5] Parvej Alam, Nelson LC Leung, Ben Zhong Tang. Organic Long Persistence Luminescence Compositions. US Patent US20200377534A1, granted 2021-06-15.

[6]  Ben Zhong Tang, Zhao Weijun, Parvej Alam, et al. A Kind of Phosphor Material and Preparation Method Thereof. China Patent CN107793393A, granted 2020-10-09.

[1] Aggregate Journal Contribution Award, 2023-2024

[2] Overseas Excellent Youth Award (优秀青年科学基金项目-海外), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), 2022

[3] Research Fund for International Young Scientists (RIFC1), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), 2020-2022

[4] Champion Scholar Award, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, PhD studies

[5] NET-CSIR Qualified, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India, 2012

[6] Multiple Best Oral and Poster Presentation Awards at national and international conferences