A flavonoid-based fluorescent test strip for sensitive and selective detection of a gaseous nerve agent simulant

Tianyi Qin; Yingying Huang; Kangning Zhu; Jiahao Wang; Chengjun Pan; Bin Liu; Lei Wang

doi:10.1016/j.aca.2019.05.025

A flavonoid-based fluorescent test strip for sensitive and selective detection of a gaseous nerve agent simulant

Anal Chim Acta. 2019 Oct 17:1076:125-130. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2019.05.025. Epub 2019 May 22.

Authors

Tianyi Qin¹, Yingying Huang², Kangning Zhu¹, Jiahao Wang², Chengjun Pan², Bin Liu³, Lei Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
² Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
³ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China. Electronic address: bliu@szu.edu.cn.
⁴ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China. Electronic address: wl@szu.edu.cn.

PMID: 31203956
DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2019.05.025

Abstract

Developing fluorescent sensors with ability of monitoring gaseous nerve agents in a sensitive and selective manner is of great importance due to the extreme toxicity and volatility of organophosphorus nerve agents. Herein we reported a novel oxime-modified flavonoid sensor and carefully investigated its sensing behavior towards nerve agent simulants, diethylchlorophosphate (DCP). In the presence of DCP, a remarkable fluorescence enhancement accompanied with emission color change could be observed by naked eyes in solution. The response time was less than 90 s and LOD value was calculated as 0.78 μmol/L in solution. The sensing mechanism could be ascribed to the specific reaction between halophosphate and hydroxyl group of oxime. Furthermore, sensor strips have been successfully constructed by using PEG as matrix with a simple preparation process, and also achieved the sensitive and selective detection of DCP vapor. These results in this study may provide important references for further design of dye-based sensor strips for detection of nerve agents both in solution and gas phase.

Keywords: Diethylchlorophosphate; Fluorescent sensors; Nerve agents; Oxime; Vapor detection.