Organohalogenochromism: Toward Colorimetric Detection of Volatile Organic Halogen Compounds

Abstract

A significant hypsochromic or bathochromic shift of photoabsorption bands of dyes may be observed only in halogenated solvents. Such specific solvatochromism is termed organohalogenochromism (OHC), which has been recently recognized as a photophysical phenomenon. However, few studies have been carried out on the elucidation of OHC and thus there is a limited insight into the mechanism for expression of OHC, although the phenomenon not only is of a great scientific interest in photochemistry, photophysics, analytical chemistry, and synthetic organic chemistry but also has great potential for development of colorimetric detection technique for organohalogen compounds; this technique is expected to be facile operation and simple analysis with sufficient accuracy, high sensitivity, and fast response, and thus allows visualization and real‐time monitoring for toxic volatile organohalogen compounds (VOHCs). In this Concept, we first review OHC of dyes which have been reported so far. Second, the elucidation of OHC based on the interactions between dye and organohalogen molecules are discussed. In particular, we propose the explanation for a pronounced OHC of donor‐π‐acceptor‐type cationic dye from the viewpoint of halogen bond (XB) between halogenated solvents and counter anion of cationic dye. Moreover, an application of organohalogenochromic dyes to colorimetric sensors for VOHCs is presented.