Synthesis of p-Azaquinodimethane-based Quinoidal Fluorophores

Quinoidal π-conjugated systems are sought-after materials for semiconducting applications because of their rich optical and electronic characteristics. However, the analogous fluorescent compounds are extremely rare, with just two reports in the literature. Here, we present the design and development of a third series of quinoidal fluorophores [(2,5-diarylidene)-3,6-bis(hexyloxy)-2,5-dihydropyrazine (Q1-Q5)] that incorporates p-azaquinodimethane. The fluorophores are synthesized in a two-step synthetic approach employing Knoevenagel condensation of N,N-diacetyl-piperazine-2,5-dione with different aromatic aldehydes followed by O-alkylation in high yields. Q1-Q5 are strongly emissive, and by altering the aryl-substituents, the emission colors can be modulated from blue to orange. The compounds possess emission maxima (λem) at 475-555 nm in the solution state and 510-610 nm in the solid state, with fluorescence quantum yields of up to 60%. To the best of our knowledge, the reported systems are the first quinoidal dual-state emissive (solution- and solid-state) compounds. In trifluoroacetic acid, Q5 exhibits halochromic behavior, with a dramatic color change from yellow to blue. Furthermore, the preliminary fluorescent sensing studies demonstrated that Q5 could act as a selective turn-off fluorescence probe for electron-deficient picric acid (PA), with an emission quenching of >90% in the solution state. The thin-layer chromatography (TLC) strip sensor of Q5 was also designed to detect PA in water.

Synthesis, characterization, and photophysical and fluorescence sensor behaviors of a new water-soluble double-bridged naphthalene diimide appended cyclotriphosphazene

A new water-soluble template of double-bridged naphthalene diimide appended cyclotriphosphazene was prepared, and its photophysical and sensor behaviors were evaluated. The characterization of novel double-bridged naphthalene diimide appended cyclotriphosphazene (6) was carried out by NMR (1H, 13C, 31P) and mass spectroscopies. The photophysical behaviors of compound 6 were evaluated by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies in various solvent systems and different concentrations. As an application for usability of the obtained water-soluble template in different applications, the fluorescence sensor property of compound 6 was investigated in the presence of many different competing species (organic acids, saccharides, nitroaromatic compounds, anions, and metal cations). The results obtained showed that compound 6 had selectivity against only the nitroaromatic species among the competing species tested.

Facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon dots as sensitive fluorescence probes for selective recognition of cinnamaldehyde and l-Arginine/l-Lysine in living cells

The disorder of amino acid metabolism and the abuse of small molecule drugs pose serious threats to public health. However, due to the limitations of existing detection technologies in sensing cinnamaldehyde (CAL) and l-Arginine/l-Lysine (l-Arg/l-Lys), there is an urgent need to develop new sensing strategies to meet the severe challenges currently facing. Herein, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) were developed using a simple one-pot hydrothermal carbonization method. These N-CDs exhibited numerous distinctive characteristics such as excellent photoluminescence, high water dispersibility, favorable biocompatibility, and superior chemical inertness. Strikingly, the as-prepared CDs as a highly efficient fluorescent probe possessed significant sensitivity and selectivity toward CAL and l-Arg/l-Lys over other analytes with a low detection limit of 58 nM and 16 nM/18 nM, respectively. The fluorescence of N-CDs could be quenched by CAL through an electron transfer process. Then, the strong electrostatic interaction between l-Arg/l-Lys and N-CDs induced the efficient fluorescence recovery. More importantly, the outstanding biosafety and excellent analyte-responsive fluorescence characteristics of N-CDs have also been verified in living cells as well as in serum and urine. Overall, the N-CDs had a wide application prospect in the diagnosis of amino acid metabolic diseases and small molecule drug sensing.

Electrochemical Detection of Dinitrobenzene on Silicon Electrodes: Toward Explosives Sensors

Detection of explosives is vital for protection and criminal investigations, and developing novel explosives’ sensors stands at the forefront of the analytical and forensic chemistry endeavors. Due to the presence of terminal nitro groups that can be electrochemically reduced, nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) have been an analytical target for explosives’ electrochemical sensors. Various electrode materials have been used to detect NACs in solution, including glassy carbon electrodes (GCE), platinum (Pt), and gold (Au) electrodes, by tracking the reversible oxidation/reduction properties of the NACs on these electrodes. Here, we show that the reduction of dinitrobenzene (DNB) on oxide-free silicon (Si–H) electrodes is irreversible with two reduction peaks that disappear within the successive voltammetric scanning. AFM imaging showed the formation of a polymeric film whose thickness scales up with the DNB concentration. This suggest that Si–H surfaces can serve as DNB sensors and possibly other explosive substances. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements showed that the limit of detection (LoD) on Si–H is one order of magnitude lower than that obtained on GCE. In addition, EIS measurements showed that the LoD of DNB on Si–H is two orders of magnitude lower than the CV method. The fact that a Si–H surface can be used to track the presence of DNB makes it a suitable surface to be implemented as a sensing platform. To translate this concept into a sensor, however, it would require engineering and fabrication prospect to be compatible with the current semiconductor technologies.

Colorimetric optical nanosensors for trace explosive detection using metal nanoparticles: advances, pitfalls, and future perspective

Warfare threats and acts of terror are challenging situations encountered by defense agencies across the globe and are of growing concern to the general public, and security-minded policy makers. Detecting ultra-low quantities of explosive compounds in remote locations or under harsh conditions for anti-terror purposes as well as the environmental monitoring of residual or discarded explosives in soil, remains a major challenge. The use of metal nanoparticles (NPs) for trace explosive detection has drawn considerable interest in recent years. For nano-based explosive sensor devices to meet real-life operational demands, analytical parameters such as, long-shelf life, stability under harsh conditions, ease-of-use, high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, and rapid signal response must be met. Generally, the analytical performance of colorimetric-based nanosensor systems is strongly dependent on the surface properties of the nanomaterial used in the colorimetric assay. The size and shape properties of metal NPs, surface functionalisation efficiency, and assay fabrication methods, are factors that influence the efficacy of colorimetric explosive nanosensor systems. This review reports on the design and analytical performances of colorimetric explosive sensor systems using metal NPs as optical signal transducers. The challenges of trace explosive detection, advances in metal NP colorimetric explosive design, limitations of each methods, and possible strategies to mitigate the problems are discussed.

Three Silver(I) Coordination Polymers Based on Pyridyl Ligands and Auxiliary Carboxylic Ligands: Luminescence and Efficient Sensing Properties

Easily producible sensors for harmful industrial waste compounds are of significant interest for both human health and the environment. Three novel coordination polymers, [Ag(μ-aca)(μ₄-bztpy)_1/2] (1), [Ag(μ-bza)(μ-bpa)] (2), and [Ag₂(μ-aca)₂(μ-bpa)₂]·EtOH·2H₂O (3), were assembled in this study by reactions using Ag⁺ as a node with the pyridyl ligand 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(4-pyridyl)benzene (bztpy) or 9,10-bis(4-pyridyl)anthracene (bpa) and an auxiliary chelating carboxylic ligand. Single-crystal X-ray structural analyses revealed that compound 1 has a 3D framework consisting of 1D [Ag(aca)]_∞ chains and bztpy linkers, while 2 and 3 have 2D layered structures consisting of binuclear Ag-carboxylate units and bpa linkers, respectively. Topological studies revealed that 1 has a bbf topology, while 2 and 3 are 2D [4,4] rhombic grids. The compounds were further characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, IR, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and a luminescence study. The solids of 1-3 exhibited intense photoluminescent emission with λ_em^max at ca. 493, 472, and 500 nm, respectively. Remarkably, due to their excellent framework stability, 1 and 2 can act as multiresponsive luminescent sensors for nitrobenzene, Fe³⁺, and Cr₂O₇^2- with a high selectivity and sensitivity ascribed to their quenching effect.

Synthesis and Characterization of New Mesoporous Polyurethane-Nitrogen Doped Carbon Dot Nanocomposites: Ultrafast, Highly Selective and Sensitive Turn-off Fluorescent Sensors for Fe3+ Ions

A new fluorescent mesoporous polyurethane (PU) (9) was synthesized by reaction between 2,2'-(methylenebis(4,1-phenylene))bis(5-isocyanatoisoindoline-1,3-dione) (Diisocyanate) (5) and 4,4',4″-((1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)tris (azanediyl))triphenol (Triol, TO) (8) (molar ratio 3:2). PU was characterized by using FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, XRD, UV-Vis, TGA, Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, BET, FE-SEM and Photoluminescence (PL) analyses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a fluorescent polyurethane has been made without the use of commercial fluorescent materials. PU has high fluorescent intensity and it is ultrafast (about few seconds), highly selective and sensitive turn-off fluorescent sensor for Fe³⁺ ions. This chemosensor exhibited a wide concentration range of (10-250)×10^-6 M Fe³⁺ with quenching efficiency (η) 97.50%. Limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ) and quenching constant (Ksv) values were calculated 10.10×10^-6 M, 30.60×10^-6 M and 6919.31 M^-1, respectively. Nitrogen doped carbon dots (N-doped CDs) as fluorescent nanoparticles and with the aim of improving Fe³⁺ detecting were synthesized by microwave-assisted and using citric acid monohydrate (10) and ethylenediamine (11) as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Fluorescent nanocomposites (FNCs) were prepared by using casting and in-situ methods. In both methods, two nanocomposites containing 5 and 10%w of N-doped CDs were prepared. FNCs were characterized by using FT-IR, UV-Vis, XRD, TGA, Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, BET, FE-SEM and PL analyses. All nanocomposites showed better thermal property and sensitivity and lower LOD values in lower concentration of Fe³⁺ related to PU. Among them, FNC10in exhibited the best results as η, LOD, LOQ, Ksv reached 99.80%, 1.15×10^-6 M, 3.48×10^-6 M and 53,551.48 M^-1, respectively.

Self-assembled porous nanoparticles based on silicone polymers with aggregation-induced emission for highly sensitive detection of nitroaromatics

Tetraphenylbenzene functionalized polysiloxane with AIE feature can self-assemble to unique porous structure and show high performance as fluorescent sensor.

Recent Developments in the Field of Explosive Trace Detection

Explosive trace detection (ETD) technologies play a vital role in maintaining national security. ETD remains an active research area with many analytical techniques in operational use. This review details the latest advances in animal olfactory, ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), and Raman and colorimetric detection methods. Developments in optical, biological, electrochemical, mass, and thermal sensors are also covered in addition to the use of nanomaterials technology. Commercially available systems are presented as examples of current detection capabilities and as benchmarks for improvement. Attention is also drawn to recent collaborative projects involving government, academia, and industry to highlight the emergence of multimodal screening approaches and applications. The objective of the review is to provide a comprehensive overview of ETD by highlighting challenges in ETD and providing an understanding of the principles, advantages, and limitations of each technology and relating this to current systems.

A down converting serine-functionalised NaYF4:Ce3+/Gd3+/Eu3+@NaGdF4:Tb3+ photoluminescent probe for chemical sensing of explosive nitroaromatic compounds

In this contribution, we explored a novel serine-functionalised NaYF₄:Ce³⁺/Gd³⁺/Eu³⁺@NaGdF₄:Tb³⁺ core–shell nanophosphor as a down-converting photoluminescent probe for efficient sensing of nitroaromatic explosives.

CdS QDs/N-methylpolypyrrole hybrids as fluorescent probe for ultrasensitive and selective detection of picric acid

Inorganic-organic hybrids are an advanced class of luminescent materials showing great promise for fabrication of highly sensitive and selective optical sensors. In the present study, a novel CdS quantum dots/N-methylpolypyrrole (CdS QDs/NMPPY) hybrid was synthesized via the direct polymerization of NMPPY on L-cysteine capped CdS QD aggregates. A number of characterization techniques including FTIR, DLS, FESEM, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopies were used to study the chemical composition, morphology and optical properties of the resultant QDs/polymer hybrid. The as-synthesized CdS QDs/NMPPY hybrid shows a bright emission at 459 nm under excitation at 367 nm in water. Also the results show the role of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) to control the mechanism of synthesis and spectroscopic of the prepared CdS/NMPPY hybrid. Moreover, in this work was reported the direct hybridization procedure without other modification such as ligand exchange and coating. We demonstrated that the hybridization of CdS QDs with NMPPY polymer leads to a significant change in fluorescence sensing properties toward nitroaromatic compounds. Further studies unveiled that the emission of CdS QDs/NMPPY hybrid is strongly and selectively quenched by picric acid molecule with a large Stern-Volmer constant of 843,900 M^-1 and an excellent detection limit of 4.6 × 10^-7 M. The changes in the UV-vis spectra of picric acid solutions in the presence and absence of CdS QDs/NMPPY hybrid displayed that the fluorescence quenching occurs through a static quenching mechanism. Finally, the proposed CdS QDs/NMPPY sensor was successfully utilized to determine the amount of picric acid in real water samples.

A silicon-cored tetraphenyl benzene derivative with aggregation-induced emission enhancement as a fluorescent probe for nitroaromatic compounds detection

Two benzene with multiple contiguous phenyl substituent derivatives, namely, 1, 2, 3, 4-tetraphenyl benzene (TPB) and bis(1,2,3,4-tetraphenylbenzene-yl) diphenylsilane (TPB-Si), were synthesized by the Knoevenagel/Diels-Alder method. TPB and TPB-Si both showed aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) properties in tetrahydrofuran/water mixtures. The fluorescence-quenching behaviors of the two compounds with different nitroaromatic compounds were also investigated. TPB and TPB-Si both showed low detection limit, high sensitivity, and high quenching efficiency in detecting nitroaromatic compounds. Furthermore, the two compounds in aggregate state exhibited much better detection abilities than in THF solution. And TPB-Si exhibited better detection ability than TPB in both solution and aggregate state. The reason could be attributed to the special tetrahedral molecular structure of TPB-Si, which was demonstrated by theoretical calculations and crystal structures. Moreover, TPB-Si in solid film also exhibited excellent detection performance to nitroaromatic explosive vapor. This work may serve as a basis for designing new organic materials with great efficiency and sensitivity in fluorescence detection.

Multimodal Fluorescent Polymer Sensor for Highly Sensitive Detection of Nitroaromatics

Detection of nitroaromatic explosives with high sensitivity and selectivity is extremely important for civilian and military safety. Here, we report the synthesis and multimodal sensing applications of an emissive alanine based dansyl tagged copolymer P(MMA-co-Dansyl-Ala-HEMA) (DCP), synthesized by RAFT copolymerization. The fluorescent co-polymer exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity towards conventional nitroaromatic explosives such as DNT, TNT and TNP in solution at lower range of µM level and also with saturated vapor of NACs. The quantum yield of the co-polymer was measured to be very high (Φf = 77%) which make it an ideal candidate for sensing in solution as well as in vapor phase. The fluorescence signal from DCP copolymer gets significantly quenched upon addition of aliquots of DNT, TNT, and TNP. The Stern-Volmer constant was calculated to be very high. The quenching mechanism was further established by fluorescence up-conversion, time-resolved fluorescence and steady state absorption spectroscopy. The energetics of sensing process was calculated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) studies. We also fabricate a thin film polymer sensor which was able to detect nitroaromatic vapors with high selectivity. This opens up the possibility of building a low-cost and light-weight nitroaromatic explosives sensor for field use.

Core-modified of fluoranthene with "propeller" structure for highly sensitive detection of nitroaromatic compounds

Two fluoranthene derivatives with "propeller" structure, named as 7,8,9,10-tetraphenylfluoranthene (TPFA) and 3-phenoxy-7,8,9,10-tetraphenyl fluoranthene (PO-TPFA), were designed and synthesized by introducing outer phenyl and phenoxy substituents to fluoranthene. Given the steric hindrance of this unique structure, both organic dyes exhibited similar fluorescence spectra and strong fluorescence emission from the solution to the film state. The introduction of a phenoxy group showed obvious influence to the molecular optical properties of fluoranthene. Density functional theory calculations were further conducted to verify this finding. Both dyes were used as fluorescent probes and exhibited and sensitive fluorescence response to nitroaromatic explosives and highly selectivity to picric acid. Furthermore, PO-TPFA exhibited better detection performance to nitroaromatic explosives than TPFA. This work can serve as a guide for molecular fluorescence design because these dyes possess excellent fluorescence in solution and film states and can be used for the sensitive fluorescence detection of nitroaromatic explosives.

A silicone polymer modified by fluoranthene groups as a new approach for detecting nitroaromatic compounds

In this work, fluoranthene-modified polysiloxane (FMPS) was synthesized via the Diels–Alder reaction.

Selective and sensitive detection of cinnamaldehyde by nitrogen and sulphur co-doped carbon dots: a detailed systematic study

Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (NSCDs) have been used as a fluorescent probe for the sensitive and selective detection of clinically important organic aldehyde cinnamaldehyde.

Explosives in the Cage: Metal-Organic Frameworks for High-Energy Materials Sensing and Desensitization

An overview of the current status of coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) pertaining to the field of energetic materials is provided. The explosive applications of MOFs are discussed from two aspects: one for detection of explosives, and the other for explosive desensitization. By virtue of their adjustable pore/cage sizes, high surface area, tunable functional sites, and rich host-guest chemistry, MOFs have emerged as promising candidates for both explosive sensing and desensitization. The challenges and perspectives in these two areas are thoroughly discussed, and the processing methods for practical applications are also discussed briefly.