N-perylenyl phenoxazine and fluorene-based conjugated copolymer as a potential fluorescent probe for nitroaromatic explosives detection

The detection and discrimination of nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) are crucial for ensuring environmental safety and national security. Compounds like Picric acid (PA) and its derivatives are primarily released into the environment through coal mining activities, military activities, and various industrial chemical synthesis processes. These substances not only contribute significantly to the pollution of soil, water, and air, but they also pose serious risks to human health and living organisms due to their potential to cause mutations and cancer. In this research, we synthesized two conjugated polymers based on phenoxazine bearing perylene as a side chain and benzo[c][1, 2, 5]thiadiazole with fluorene backbone as co-monomers, and developed an efficient fluorescence sensor employing them. This work presents a novel approach for tracing nitroaromatic compounds, including 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (DNT), Nitrobenzene (NB), 4-Nitrophenol (NP), and PA.