Designing of naphthalene based acylhydrazone derivative as a selective fluorogenic sensor for strong volatile acids based on aggregation-induced emission

Abstract

In the present study, a cognitive self-assembled fluorescent chemosensor, (2-hydroxy-naphthalene-1-ylmethylene)-hydrazide (NIZ) was presented which disclosed sensitive and selective trace quantity detection of strong volatile acids both in binary solvent mixture [2:8 (v/v) THF/water] and solid state (thin film) based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics. In molecularly dissolved state, NIZ participated in the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), where the dynamic flexibility during a fast photoinduced process debilitated the consumed excited energy nonradiatively and enabled NIZ to be completely nonluminescent in THF (φf = 0.39%). However, vigorous rigidification of molecular framework upon exercising different noncovalent forces obstructed all possible intramolecular motions via restricted intramolecular rotation (RIR), where delimited ESIPT upon prompting the molecules into self-assembly resulted dramatically augmented emission intensity (φf = 29.8%) impregnated with AIE behavior in THF/water. Subsequently, spontaneously evolved green emissive fluorescent nanoaggregates were primarily employed as a fluorescent chemosensor for aqueous phase recognition of strong acids where protonation-induced destruction of aggregated morphology due to reasonable interaction between NIZ and analytes led to a selective fluorescence quenching towards trifluoroacetic acid [(HTFA); detection limit (DL) = 41.74 nM], hydrochloric acid [(HCl); DL = 47.47 nM] and nitric acid [(HNO3); DL = 50.17 nM). Importantly, the ready-made cost-effective test kits of NIZ exhibited a selective fluorogenic response towards vapors from HNO3, HTFA and HCl in the rapid fashion where DLs were as low as 0.88, 1.39 and 4.57 ppm respectively to demonstrate the “in-the field” monitoring of air quality. Finally, the reversible “ON-OFF” fluorogenic response from NIZ inspired us to device a “use” and “throw” security marker upon alternative presence of HTFA and triethylamine (TEA) to augment the day-to-day practical applications.