High-Performance NMHC Detection Enabled by a Perylene Bisimide-Cored Metallacycle Complex-Based Fluorescent Film Sensor

Abstract

Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) can serve as precursors of ozone and photochemical smog, and hence their highly efficient detection is of great importance for air quality monitoring. Here, we synthesized a new fluorescent perylene bisimide (PBI)-cored metallacycle complex through coordinationdriven self-assembly and used it for the production of a fluorescent film sensor. The unique rectangular structure of the developed fluorophore endows the sensor with enhanced sensing performance and discriminability to n-alkanes (C 5−10 ). Specifically, the experimental detection limits for n-pentane, n-hexane, and ndecane are 39, 7, and 1.4 mg/m 3 , respectively, and the corresponding linear ranges are from 39 to 2546, 7 to 1745, and 1.4 to 85 mg/m 3 , respectively. Moreover, the sensing is fully reversible. In tandem with a gas chromatographic separation system, the film sensor showed comparable detection ability for the nalkanes with a commercial flame ionization detector (FID), while the film sensor needs no hydrogen; it occupies a much smaller size (30 × 30 × 44 mm 3 ) and consumes less energy (0.215 W). Further studies demonstrated that the developed sensor can be used for on-site and real-time quantification of NHMCs, laying the foundation for developing into a portable detector.

Advances in Molecular Design and Photophysical Engineering of Perylene Bisimide-Containing Polyads and Multichromophores for Film-Based Fluorescent Sensors

“…As such, several PBI multichromophores had been designed and developed in the same way (Figure ). ,− We recently reported a new fluorescent PBI-cored metallacycle complex, C-1, and used it in the production of a FFS . The unique rectangular structure of C-1 contributed to the excellent sensing performance toward gaseous n -alkanes.…”

“…8,40−43 We recently reported a new fluorescent PBI-cored metallacycle complex, C-1, and used it in the production of a FFS. 8 The unique rectangular structure of C-1 contributed to the excellent sensing performance toward gaseous n-alkanes. Notably, when used in tandem with a gas chromatographic separation system, the C-1-based FFS exhibited a comparable detection capability for the n-alkanes with a commercial flame ionization detector, whereas the consumption of hydrogen gas carrier and excessive energy were not needed for the former.…”

“…Smart sensors exhibit huge and ever-expanding markets all over the world. In the past two decades, our group has been devoted to developing a variety of superior FFSs toward detecting different kinds of analytes. ,− As a consequence, several important factors that determine the performance of a FFS are concluded. For example, the kinds of analytes to be detected and the sensitivity, the selectivity, and the detection dynamics of a FFS are largely dependent on the chemical nature of the sensing fluorophore employed and the adlayer structure of the sensing film. , In addition, hardware structure of the sensor and signal processing methodology present a non-negligible impact on sensitivity and discrimination of a FFS.…”

One Fluorophore‐Two Sensing Films: Hydrogen‐Bond Directed Formation of a Quadruple Perylene Bisimide Stack

“…In recent years, molecular aggregates with defined size and geometry, such as squaraines, porphyrins, quadrupolar naphthalene and perylene bisimides, have attracted remarkable interest because of their distinct properties, including photo luminescence and photoelectric behavior [1] . Moreover, properly designed and well‐defined molecular aggregates can help to gain fundamental insights on photoexcited processes of molecular systems, which would provide theoretical guidance for the design of functional molecular systems, including organic solar cells, [2] organic field effect transistors, [3] photosynthesis, [4] and sensing, etc [5] . Intermolecular interaction plays an important role in molecular packing as well as optical/electric properties of the resulted molecular aggregates [6] .…”

“…[1] Moreover, properly designed and well-defined molecular aggregates can help to gain fundamental insights on photoexcited processes of molecular systems, which would provide theoretical guidance for the design of functional molecular systems, including organic solar cells, [2] organic field effect transistors, [3] photosynthesis, [4] and sensing, etc. [5] Intermolecular interaction plays an important role in molecular packing as well as optical/ electric properties of the resulted molecular aggregates. [6] Notably, π-π stacking interactions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), endows them potential applications in functional materials.…”