Vapor-Phase Detection of Trinitrotoluene by AIEE-Active Hetero-oligophenylene-Based Carbazole Derivatives

New AIEE-active hetero-oligophenylene carbazole derivatives 3 and 4 have been synthesized and serve as fluorescent probes for the selective detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in the vapor phase, the solid phase, and aqueous media. In addition, paper strips prepared by dip-coating a solution of aggregates of derivatives 3 and 4 can provide a simple, portable, sensitive, selective, low-cost method for the detection of TNT on the picogram level.