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Mitri F, De Iacovo A, De Santis S, Quarta D, Giansante C, Orsini M, Colace L. Optical gas sensor based on the combination of a QD photoluminescent probe and a QD photodetector. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 33:475501. [PMID: 35944493 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac8814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We report on a sensor architecture for detection of hazardous gases. The proposed device is based on the integration of a solid-state quantum dot (QD) photoluminescent probe with a QD photodetector on the same substrate. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated by developing a compact optical sensor for trace detection of explosives in air. The proposed architecture is very simple and consists of a silicon substrate with both surfaces coated with QD films. The upper layer acts as photoluminescent probe, pumped by a blue LED. The change of photoluminescence intensity associated to the interaction between the QDs and the target analyte is measured by the QD photodetector fabricated on the opposite side of the substrate. The sensor is mounted into a small chamber provided with the LED and the front-end electronics. The device is characterized by using nitrobenzene as representative nitroaromatic compound. Extremely low concentrations (down to 0.1 ppm) can be detected by the proposed device, with a theoretical detection limit estimated to be as low as 2 ppb. Results are repeatable and no ageing effect is observed over a 70 d period. The proposed architecture may provide a promising solution for explosive detection in air as well as other sensing applications, thanks to its sensitivity, simple fabrication process, practical usability and cost effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Mitri
- Department of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra 62, I-00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea De Iacovo
- Department of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra 62, I-00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Serena De Santis
- Department of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra 62, I-00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Danila Quarta
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Nanotecnologia CNR-NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, Lecce I-73100, Italy
| | - Carlo Giansante
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Nanotecnologia CNR-NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, Lecce I-73100, Italy
| | - Monica Orsini
- Department of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra 62, I-00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Colace
- Department of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Vito Volterra 62, I-00146, Rome, Italy
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Fluorescent Calix[4]arene-Carbazole-Containing Polymers as Sensors for Nitroaromatic Explosives. CHEMOSENSORS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/chemosensors8040128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Two highly fluorescent calix[4]arene-containing phenylene-alt-ethynylene-carbazolylene polymers (Calix-PPE-CBZs) were used in the detection of explosives from the nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) family, in solution and in vapour phases. Both fluorophores exhibit high sensitivity and selectivity towards NACs detection. The quenching efficiencies in solution, assessed through static Stern-Volmer constants (KSV), follow the order picric acid (PA) >> 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) > 2,4-dinitrotoluene > (2,4-DNT) > nitrobenzene (NB). These correlate very well with the NACs electron affinities, as evaluated from their lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs) energies, indicating a photo-induced electron transfer as the dominant mechanism in fluorescence quenching. Moreover, and most interesting, detection of TNT, 2,4-DNT and NB vapours via thin-films of Calix-PPE-CBZs revealed a remarkably sensitive response to these analytes, comparable to state-of-the-art chemosensors. The study also analyses and compares the current results to previous disclosed data on the detection of NACs by several calix[4]arene-based conjugated polymers and non-polymeric calix[4]arenes-carbazole conjugates, overall highlighting the superior role of calixarene and carbazole structural motifs in NACs’ detection performance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations performed on polymer models were used to support some of the experimental findings.
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Sengottuvelu D, Kachwal V, Raichure P, Raghav T, Laskar IR. Aggregation-Induced Enhanced Emission (AIEE)-Active Conjugated Mesoporous Oligomers (CMOs) with Improved Quantum Yield and Low-Cost Detection of a Trace Amount of Nitroaromatic Explosives. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:31875-31886. [PMID: 32551484 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c05273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The article reports a straightforward strategy for the design and synthesis of highly luminescent conjugated mesoporous oligomers (CMOs) with an "aggregation-induced enhanced emission" (AIEE) feature through Wittig polymerization of a molecular rotor. Typical molecular rotors such as triphenylamine (TPA) and tetraphenylethene (TPE) as B2-, and A4- and A3-type nodes have been used to construct AIEE-active CMOs, namely, CMO1 and CMO2. The quick dissipation of the excited photons is successfully controlled by the restriction of rotation of the phenyl units through the formation of a mesoporous network scaffold in a solid/thin film, which provides high quantum yields for the interlocked CMO system. Both the CMOs are sensitive and selective to the various nitroaromatic explosives, whereas CMO1 is more sensitive (Ksv = 2.6 × 106 M-1) toward picric acid. The increased quenching constant for CMO1 is due to its increased quantum yield and high energy-transfer efficiency. The mechanism for sensing has been studied in detail. The larger pore size and pore density in the mesoporous network of CMO1 are found to be responsible for the greater extent of energy transfer from CMO1 to picric acid. Furthermore, CMO1 has been employed for low-cost filter-paper-based detection of a trace amount of nitroaromatic explosive materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dineshkumar Sengottuvelu
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031, India
| | - Vishal Kachwal
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031, India
| | - Pramod Raichure
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031, India
| | - Tarun Raghav
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031, India
| | - Inamur Rahaman Laskar
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031, India
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Sarih NM, Ciupa A, Moss S, Myers P, Slater AG, Abdullah Z, Tajuddin HA, Maher S. Furo[3,2-c]coumarin-derived Fe 3+ Selective Fluorescence Sensor: Synthesis, Fluorescence Study and Application to Water Analysis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7421. [PMID: 32366859 PMCID: PMC7198544 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63262-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Furocoumarin (furo[3,2-c]coumarin) derivatives have been synthesized from single step, high yielding (82-92%) chemistry involving a 4-hydroxycoumarin 4 + 1 cycloaddition reaction. They are characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR, and, for the first time, a comprehensive UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy study has been carried out to determine if these compounds can serve as useful sensors. Based on the fluorescence data, the most promising furocoumarin derivative (2-(cyclohexylamino)-3-phenyl-4H-furo[3,2-c]chromen-4-one, FH), exhibits strong fluorescence (ФF = 0.48) with long fluorescence lifetime (5.6 ns) and large Stokes' shift, suggesting FH could be used as a novel fluorescent chemosensor. FH exhibits a highly selective, sensitive and instant turn-off fluorescence response to Fe3+ over other metal ions which was attributed to a charge transfer mechanism. Selectivity was demonstrated against 13 other competing metal ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Al3+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Pb2+ and Ru3+) and aqueous compatibility was demonstrated in 10% MeOH-H2O solution. The FH sensor coordinates Fe3+ in a 1:2 stoichiometry with a binding constant, Ka = 5.25 × 103 M-1. This novel sensor has a limit of detection of 1.93 µM, below that of the US environmental protection agency guidelines (5.37 µM), with a linear dynamic range of ~28 (~2-30 µM) and an R2 value of 0.9975. As an exemplar application we demonstrate the potential of this sensor for the rapid measurement of Fe3+ in mineral and tap water samples demonstrating the real-world application of FH as a "turn off" fluorescence sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norfatirah Muhamad Sarih
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L69 GJ, UK
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Alexander Ciupa
- Materials Innovation Factory, University of Liverpool, 51 Oxford St, Liverpool, L7 3NY, UK
| | - Stephen Moss
- Materials Innovation Factory, University of Liverpool, 51 Oxford St, Liverpool, L7 3NY, UK
| | - Peter Myers
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Anna Grace Slater
- Materials Innovation Factory, University of Liverpool, 51 Oxford St, Liverpool, L7 3NY, UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Zanariah Abdullah
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hairul Anuar Tajuddin
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Simon Maher
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L69 GJ, UK.
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