Crystallization-induced emission enhancement of alkyl chain-dependent pyrene-based luminogens: Visual detection of nitro-explosives

• Published in: Journal of luminescence 2023-01, Vol.253, p.119439, Article 119439
• Main Authors: Yu, Ze-Dong, Cao, Jing-Yi, Li, Hua-Long, Yang, Guang, Zhao, Wen-Xuan, Wang, Chuan-Zeng, Chen, Shu-Hai, Elsegood, Mark R.J., Redshaw, Carl, Yamato, Takehiko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Crystallization-induced emission enhancement; Nitro-explosives; Pyrene chemistry; Sensing properties
• ISSN: 0022-2313; 1872-7883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlumin.2022.119439

In view of the widespread applications and urgent need for efficient blue emitting materials, the synthesis of such materials has seen renewed interest. In the present work, three alkyl chain-dependent blue emitting pyrene-based luminogens were synthesized and characterized. The experimental results show that these luminogens exhibited high photoluminescence efficiency both in solution (>86%) and in the solid state (>35%). Interestingly, 1,3,6,8-tetrakis (pentylphenyl)pyrene (TPPy), as a photoelectric functional material, was endowed with higher quantum yield (72%) and competitiveness due to a remarkable crystallization-induced emission enhancement (CIEE) property. More importantly, TPPy exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity for ortho-nitroaniline (o-NA) with low limit of detection (9.99 × 10−8 M), which is mainly due to the distinctive odd-even effects of the terminal alkyl chain. The results demonstrate that this type of luminogen can potentially be utilized for practical applications in the field of contaminant or explosive detection as a sensitive and portable fluorimeter. Three alkyl chain-dependent pyrene-based blue-emitting luminogens with high photoluminescence efficiency (>86%) were present, this type of luminogens can potentially widen practical applications in the field of contaminant or explosive detection as a sensitive and portable fluorimeter. [Display omitted] •Chain-dependent pyrene-based luminogens with blue emitting.•CIEE property with high photoluminescence efficiency (72%).•Visual detection of nitro-explosives with low limit of detection.