Pyrene-based chemosensor detects picric acid upto attogram level through aggregation enhanced excimer emission

•A pyrene based sensor with aggregation enhanced excimer emission synthesized.•This forms highly emissive crystalline nanoaggregates in THF:HB 90% v/v mixture.•The emissive aggregates detect picric acid upto zeptogram level in direct contact mode.

A pyrene-based small molecular weight probe, exhibiting aggregation enhanced excimer emission has been synthesized. The crystalline emissive form detects 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid) at parts-per-billion concentration in solution and as low as 0.46 attogram in direct contact mode, operating predominantly in a static quenching mechanism, proposed on the basis of steady state and life-time fluorescence measurements.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide