Photoluminescent pyrene-based ionic liquid derived ratiometric organo nanosensor for rapid and selective detection of picric acid

Due to the rising menace of illicit actions and pollution aroused by explosive nitroaromatic compounds (NACs), the growth of an adept sensor for detecting these NACs is highly essential. Herein, in this communication, a photoluminescent IL-assimilated group of uniform materials based on organic salt (GUMBOS) and nano-GUMBOS has been fabricated by integrating pyrene butyrate with a quaternary phosphonium IL (PbIL) via a simple ion exchange process. Neat PbIL shows a bright cyan color photoluminescence under a 365 nm UV lamp irradiation and is employed as photoluminescence security ink and picric acid (PA) detection among the tested NACs. By simple reprecipitation method, we have developed water-suspended crystalline pyrene assimilated nanoparticles, nPbIL, characterized by various analytical techniques. The PbIL-derived water-suspended nanomaterials, nPbIL, display a robust cyan color excimer-like emission, which turns blue (monomeric) due to adding PA over the other related NACs. This ratiometric cyan to blue photoluminesce change is due to the displacement of the anionic pyrene moiety of the nPbIL by the picrate anion. The fabricated organo nanosensor is enormously discerning and responsive towards PA with a detection limit of 0.77 nM and is found to be superior to many available in the literature. Additionally, a fluorogenic paper strip-based test kit experiment has been demonstrated to detect and quantify PA selectively in aqueous solvents amongst the other tested NACs. The present contribution evokes a novel approach to developing different IL-based chemosensors for detecting and quantifying various target analytes.