An optical fiber taper fluorescent probe for detection of nitro-explosives based on tetraphenylethylene with aggregation-induced emission

• Published in: Optical fiber technology Vol. 36; pp. 98 - 104
• Main Authors: Liu, Fukun, Cui, Minxin, Ma, Jiajun, Zou, Gang, Zhang, Qijin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.07.2017
• Subjects: Aggregation-induced emission; Detection of explosives; Fluorescence quenching; Optical fiber taper; Photo-plating; Optical fiber taper; Photo-plating; Aggregation-induced emission; Detection of explosives; Fluorescence quenching
• ISSN: 1068-5200; 1095-9912
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yofte.2017.03.004

•In this paper, we produced a new fluorescent porous polymer material covalently attached to the optical fiber taper surface.•This material was prepared for the first time with a simple way based on the thiol-enes “click” reaction.•At the same time, the material was sensitive to nitro-explosive gases, such as TNT and 2,4-DNT.•So, we make an optical fiber taper sensor, this sensor not only displayed remarkable fluorescence quenching sensitivity to TNT and DNT vapor, but also show a repeatability and the detection would not be interference even in the presence of other volatile organic gases, in addition, it can momently and remotely detect the explosives with high sensitivity and good reversibility. In this work, we report a novel optical fiber taper fluorescent probe for detection of nitro-explosives. The probe was fabricated by an in-situ photo-plating through evanescent wave and transmitted light initiated thiol-ene “click” reaction, from which a cross-linked fluorescence porous polymer film was covalently bonded on the surface of the fiber taper. The film exhibits well-organized porous structure due to the presence of polyhedral oligomeric vinylsilsesquioxane moieties, and simultaneously displays strong fluorescence from tetraphenylethylene with aggregation-induced emission property. These two characters make the probe show a remarkable sensitivity, anti-photo-bleaching and a repeatability in detection of TNT and DNT vapors by fluorescence quenching. In addition, the detection is not interfered in the presence of other volatile organic gases.