One-dimensional coordinated polymers of tetraphenylethene pyridine and copper-iodide for fluorescence detection of nitroaromatic explosives.

The spatial arrangement of molecules plays a crucial role in determining the macroscopic properties of functional materials. Coordinated polymers (CPs) formed by self-assembly of organic isomeric ligands and metals offer unique performance characteristics. In this study, we present the investigation of a one-dimensional CP, named CIT-E, composed of tetraphenylethene pyridine derivative (TPE-2by-2-E) ligands and copper iodide. The resulting CP exhibits a one-dimensional bead chain structure with exceptional thermal and chemical stability. By leveraging the competitive absorption between CIT-E and the explosive analog 2,4-dinitroaniline, we achieve detection of the explosive through changes in the absorption intensity of the excitation light source and subsequent fluorescence response. The CP demonstrates high selectivity and anti-interference ability in detecting 2,4-dinitroaniline in aqueous solution, with a detection linear range of 0.1 to 300 µM and a detection limit of 0.05 µM, surpassing the national third-level emission standard. These findings highlight the potential of CP CIT-E as a promising material for the detection of explosive nitroaromatic compounds.