Abstract
The multichannel fluorescent sensor array based on nanofibrous membranes loaded with ZnS quantum dots (QDs) was created and demonstrated for the discriminative detection of explosives. The synergistic effect of the high surface-to-volume ratio of QDs, the good permeability of nanofibrous membranes and the differential response introduced by surface ligands was played by constructing the sensing array using nanofibrous membranes loaded with ZnS QDs featuring several surface ligands. Interestingly, although the fluorescence quenching of the nanofibrous membranes is not linearly related to the exposure time, the fingerprint of each explosive at different times is very similar in shape, and the fingerprints of the three explosives show different shapes. Three saturated vapors of nitroaromatic explosives could be reliably detected and discriminated by the array at room temperature. This work is the first step toward devising a monitoring system for explosives in the field of public security and defense. It could, for example, be coupled with the technology of image recognition and large data analysis for a rapid diagnostic test of explosives. This work further highlights the power of differential, multichannel arrays for the rapid and discriminative detection of a wide range of chemicals.
Highlights
One pressing concern in antiterrorism and homeland security is explosive detection [1,2,3]
The PU-4 nanofibrous membrane is consisted of smooth fibers between 50 and 250 nm in diameter, and there are no ZnS quantum dots (QDs) on the fiber surfaces (Figure 1c,d), indicating that the ZnS QDs are mainly distributed in the inner part of the nanofibers
The significant change of surface properties of nanofibers should be attributed to the hydrophilicity of the hydroxyl groups of ZnS surfaces (Figure S2). These results attributed to the hydrophilicity of the hydroxyl groups of ZnS surfaces (Figure S2). These results indicate that ZnS QDs are effectively loaded on the fiber surfaces, which could be illustrated by a indicate that ZnS QDs are effectively loaded on the fiber surfaces, which could be illustrated by a schematic diagram
Summary
One pressing concern in antiterrorism and homeland security is explosive detection [1,2,3]. Conjugated polymers [1,6,7], organic dyes such as porphyrinoid and dendrimer [3,8], and microporous metal-organic frameworks [9,10,11] are proven to be high-performance fluorescent sensing materials, but their application is always limited by costly and cumbersome syntheses [4,12]. In comparison with organic dyes such as rhodamine, the fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) are 20 times as bright and 100 times as stable against photobleaching, showing better potential applications in various fields [13]. Considerable progress has been made in the field of explosive detection based on the fluorescent sensors of QDs [14,15,16] with a high surface
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
