Picogram sensing of trinitrophenol in aqueous medium through a water stable nanoscale coordination polymer

Abstract

A water stable nanoscale coordination polymer (CP) can detect trinitrophenol (TNP) in an aqueous medium at a record-picogram level (∼1.66 pg cm⁻²) with a detection limit of 1.66 ppb. This is a simple and low-cost method for the detection of TNP in aqueous media in contact mode, taking advantage of the unique structural arrangement of the as-synthesized CP and the associated photophysical properties.