Diphenylanthrylene and diphenylfluorene-based segmented conjugated polymer films as fluorescent chemosensors for nitroaromatics in aqueous solution

Distyrylbenzene-based segmented conjugated polymers: Synthesis, thin film morphology and chemosensing of hydrophobic and hydrophilic nitroaromatics in aqueous media

“…Besides, despite the absence of side chains in the polymer architecture which is usually a condition to obtain soluble aromatic polymeric materials, we found that polymer solubilities are notably enhanced when the aromatic segments are tethered by the meta rather than para positions [25,26]; the same finding has been reported for quaterphenylenes linked with oligo(ethylene glycol) spacers [12]. Finally, the frustrated packing of semi-rigid segments causes void spaces that ease analyte exchange, thus making films of these nonaggregating amorphous luminescent materials good candidates for chemosensing by fluorescence quenching [1,3,[25][26][27][28].…”

“…The same trend was observed with the Ra and Q 50% in the case of the hydrophobic TNT. We have reported similar observations regarding two segmented conjugated polymers, one bearing non-polar aliphatic side chains and another with polar oxyethylene side chains [28]. It is relevant at this point to stress again the fast, complete (> 90%) and reversible nature of the quenching process (see Fig.…”

“…The films were casted onto dodecyltrichlorosilane, DTS, coated glass substrates. We have found previously that the insertion of a monolayer of nonpolar aliphatic chains between the organic sensing layer and the glass substrate, which largely reduce the solvent affinity for the surface, improve adhesion and the physico-mechanical stability of the organic film [28]. Moreover, the presence of the nonpolar layer was decisive in producing transparent films of Mb and, to a lesser degree, of Ma which in general showed lesser tendency to form opaque films.…”

Fluorescent Amorphous Distyrylnaphthalene-Based Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Thin-Film Nanomolar Sensing of Nitroaromatics in Water

“…In order to obtain amorphous morphologies that could favor diffusion of the analyte from the aqueous solution into the polymeric film, we knitted semi-rigid fluorophores with isopropylene units, which confer a highly twisted nature to the main chain. We found that thin films of these disordered assemblies of fluorophores proved to be very sensitive towards NACs in aqueous media [12,13]. Indeed, we and many others have found that different fluorescent materials [14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24], despite their huge disparity in chemical structure, are very responsive in aqueous media towards picric acid (PA) and show no, or a small, responses to trinitrotoluene (TNT) and related nitrotoluenes.…”

Amide Functionalized Ionic Liquid as Facile Fluorescent Probe for Detection of Nitrophenolic Compounds

“…Spectrofluorometric detection is one of the best choices among various techniques used in analytical method developments due to its high sensitivity and selectivity . A variety of fluorescence probes have been proposed for sensing of PA and NP such as conjugated or inorganic polymers, nanomaterials, metal‐organic framework, organic scaffolds, biomaterials, quantum dots etc. Yet, various ionic liquids directly or indirectly have been employed in detection of nitroaromatics, for instance, fluorescent polymeric ILs, IL assisted fluorescent metal‐organic frameworks, IL coated glassy carbon electrode as electrochemical sensor etc.…”