Multiple Emitting Amphiphilic Conjugated Polythiophenes‐Coated CdTe QDs for Picogram Detection of Trinitrophenol Explosive and Application Using Chitosan Film and Paper‐Based Sensor Coupled with Smartphone

• Published in: Advanced science Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 1801467 - n/a
• Main Authors: Tawfik, Salah M., Sharipov, Mirkomil, Kakhkhorov, Sarvar, Elmasry, Mohamed R., Lee, Yong‐Ill
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany John Wiley & Sons, Inc 23.01.2019; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: 2,4,6‐trinitrophenol (TNP) explosive; amphiphilic polythiophene‐coated quantum dots; environmental water; Explosives; Ligands; Methods; paper‐based sensors; Polymerization; Quantum dots; Scholarships & fellowships; Sensors; Smartphones; 2,4,6‐trinitrophenol (TNP) explosive; environmental water; smartphones; amphiphilic polythiophene‐coated quantum dots; paper‐based sensors
• ISSN: 2198-3844; 2198-3844
• DOI: 10.1002/advs.201801467

Novel multiple emitting amphiphilic conjugated polythiophene‐coated CdTe quantum dots for picogram level determination of the 2,4,6‐trinitrophenol (TNP) explosive are developed. Four biocompatible sensors, cationic polythiophene nanohybrids (CPTQDs), nonionic polythiophene nanohybrids (NPTQDs), anionic polythiophene nanohybrids (APTQDs), and thiophene copolymer nanohybrids (TCPQDs), are designed using an in situ polymerization method, which shows highly enhanced fluorescence intensity and quantum yield (up to 78%). All sensors are investigated for nitroexplosive detection to provide a remarkable fluorescence quenching for TNP and the quenching efficiency reached 96% in the case of TCPQDs. The fluorescence of the sensors are quenched by TNP through inner filter effect, electrostatic, π−π, and hydrogen bonding interactions. Under optimal conditions, the detection limits of CPTQDs, NPTQDs, APTQDs, and TCPQDs are 2.56, 7.23, 4.12, and 0.56 × 10−9 m, respectively, within 60 s. More importantly, portable, cost effective, and simple to use paper strips and chitosan film are successfully applied to visually detect as little as 2.29 pg of TNP. The possibility of utilizing a smartphone with a color‐scanning APP in the determination of TNP is also established. Moreover, the practical application of the developed sensors for TNP detection in tap and river water samples is described with satisfactory recoveries of 98.02−107.50%. Amphiphilic conjugated polythiophene‐coated CdTe quantum dots with enhanced biocompatibility, fluorescence intensity, and quantum yield are developed for the selective detection of nitroexplosives. The applicability of the method is extended using a portable and cost‐effective chitosan film and a paper‐based sensor coupled with smartphone. This work reveals unique opportunities for detection of nitroexplosives in national security and environment protection.