Dynamic response and discrimination of gaseous sarin using a boron‐difluoride complex film‐based fluorescence sensor
Zhijie Zhou,
Lei Zhang,
Lingya Peng,
Yingjie Li,
Xiaolin Zhu,
Yidi Wu,
Zebiao Qiu,
Gang He,
Molin Qin,
Haonan Peng,
Yu Fang
Affiliations
Zhijie Zhou
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education) School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Lei Zhang
School of Optoelectronic Engineering Xidian University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Lingya Peng
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education) School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Yingjie Li
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education) School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Xiaolin Zhu
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education) School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Yidi Wu
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education) School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Zebiao Qiu
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education) School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Gang He
Frontier Institute of Science and Technology State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Molin Qin
State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian Beijing P. R. China
Haonan Peng
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education) School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Yu Fang
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Ministry of Education) School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University Xi'an Shaanxi P. R. China
Abstract This study presents a novel boron‐difluoride complex‐based fluorescent nanofilm sensor capable of detecting sarin vapors in the environment by reporting an output fluorescence signal. The sensor's evaluation demonstrated an exceptionally low detection limit for sarin vapor, even in the presence of various interfering gases, with theoretical and practical limits of detection of 0.7 and 1 ppb, respectively. The sensor featured a rapid response time (less than 2 s), a broad linear detection range (1 ppb–1000 ppm), and superior selectivity for sarin vapor over a group of interfering analytes, outperforming existing sarin sensors. Mechanistic study indicates that the sensor's heightened sensitivity to sarin vapor is due to the robust affinity of nitrogen atoms within the core BODIQ unit for sarin. Additionally, the tetraphenylethylene structure with steric hindrance effectively inhibits the tight packing of BODIQ derivatives, and forms numerous microporous structures in the self‐assembled nanofilm, which are beneficial for the mass transfer, enhancing the sensor efficiency in detecting vapors. Furthermore, we have achieved the differentiation of sarin, diethyl chlorophosphate, and HCl vapor through the analysis of sensing kinetic. This fluorescent sensor opens new avenues for sustainable, low‐cost, and environment‐friendly portable devices, as well as for environmental monitoring and tracking applications.
