Issue 44, 2017

Real-time fluorescence quenching-based detection of nitro-containing explosive vapours: what are the key processes?

Abstract

The detection of explosives continues to be a pressing global challenge with many potential technologies being pursued by the scientific research community. Luminescence-based detection of explosive vapours with an organic semiconductor has attracted much interest because of its potential for detectors that have high sensitivity, compact form factor, simple operation and low-cost. Despite the abundance of literature on novel sensor materials systems there are relatively few mechanistic studies targeted towards vapour-based sensing. In this Perspective, we will review the progress that has been made in understanding the processes that control the real-time luminescence quenching of thin films by analyte vapours. These are the non-radiative quenching process by which the sensor exciton decays, the analyte–sensor intermolecular binding interaction, and the diffusion process for the analyte vapours in the film. We comment on the contributions of each of these processes towards the sensing response and, in particular, the relative roles of analyte diffusion and exciton diffusion. While the latter has been historically judged to be one of, if not the primary, causes for the high sensitivity of many conjugated polymers to nitrated vapours, recent evidence suggests that long exciton diffusion lengths are unnecessary. The implications of these results on the development of sensor materials for real-time detection are discussed.

Graphical abstract: Real-time fluorescence quenching-based detection of nitro-containing explosive vapours: what are the key processes?

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
08 iyl 2017
Accepted
22 avq 2017
First published
29 avq 2017

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017,19, 29714-29730

Real-time fluorescence quenching-based detection of nitro-containing explosive vapours: what are the key processes?

P. E. Shaw and P. L. Burn, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 29714 DOI: 10.1039/C7CP04602B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements