Fluorescent film sensors based on SAMs of pyrene derivatives for detecting nitroaromatics in aqueous solutions

The detection of nitroaromatics in aqueous solutions by a novel pyrene-functionalized film has been investigated in the present study. The pyrene moieties were attached on the glass surface via a long flexible spacer based on self-assembled monolayer technique. Steady-state fluorescence measurements revealed that these surface-attached pyrene moieties exhibited both monomer and excimer emission. Nitroaromatics such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, and 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid) were found to efficiently quench the fluorescence emission of this film. The quenching results demonstrated that the excimer emission of these surface-confined pyrene moieties is more sensitive to the presence of nitroaromatics than the monomer emission. The quenching mechanism was examined through fluorescence lifetime measurement and it revealed that the quenching is static in nature and may be caused by electron transfer from the polycyclic aromatics to the nitroaromatics. Furthermore, the response of the film to nitroaromatics is fast and reversible, and the obtained film shows promising potentials in detecting explosives in aqueous environment.

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► A pyrene-functionalized film sensor with high stability was prepared via self-assembled monolayer (SAM) technique.
► Nitroaromatics such as picric acid, TNT, and DNT can dramatically quench the fluorescence of pyrene-functionalized SAM film.
► Pyrene-functionalized SAM film can be used as sensitive and reversible sensors to nitroaromatics in aqueous solution.