Extended cavity pyrene-based iptycenes for the turn-off fluorescence detection of RDX and common nitroaromatic explosives†‡

Abstract

Extended cavity pyrene-based iptycenes have been synthesized by using the Diels–Alder reaction between in situ generated dehydropyrenes and anthracene. The photophysical properties and the interaction of these iptycenes with nitro-explosive components were studied both in solution and in the solid state by using fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, respectively. Due to the presence of both the large iptycene cavity and the central pyrene core, an unprecedently high fluorescence-quenching response towards non-aromatic and non-planar 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) has been observed both in solution (with an apparent Stern–Volmer constant value aKSV up to 1.53 × 103 M−1) and in the vapor phase (50–75% fluorescence quenching of the PU films doped with chemosensors). In the case of nitroaromatic explosives, nitrobenzene (NB), 2,4-DNT, TNT, and 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP or picric acid, PA), pyrene-based iptycenes also demonstrate a good fluorescence-quenching response both in solutions (with apparent Stern–Volmer constant values aKSV = 0.4–8.0 × 103 M−1) and in the vapor phase (up to 90% fluorescence quenching of the PU films doped with chemosensors). The “sphere of action” fluorescence quenching model was suggested.