4.6 Article

Molecularly imprinted nanocomposites of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals: an approach towards fast and selective gas sensing of explosive taggants

Journal

JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
Volume 10, Issue 5, Pages 1754-1766

Publisher

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
DOI: 10.1039/d1tc05169e

Keywords

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Funding

  1. NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme Project SPS [G5361]
  2. Spanish MINECO [RYC-2015-18349, RTC-2016-5197-2]
  3. Retos de la Sociedad Project Nirvana [PID2020-119628RB-C31]
  4. MCIN/AEI
  5. Agencia Valenciana de la Innovacio [INNVAL10/18/032, INNVA1/2021/56]

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A solid-state luminescent gas sensor based on a nanocomposite of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals embedded in a molecularly imprinted polymer has been synthesized, demonstrating excellent sensing capabilities and specificity towards nitro-containing molecules. Molecular imprinting successfully generates specific recognition sites, enabling fast detection of nitrotoluene with a limit of detection as low as 0.218 mu g mL(-1).
Chemical sensors based on metal halide perovskites have recently attracted tremendous interest because of their excellent photophysical properties. In this work, we report the synthesis of a solid-state luminescent gas sensor based on a nanocomposite of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) using 3-nitrotoluene (3-NT) and nitromethane (NM) as template molecules. The MIP sensor fabrication is straightforward and low-cost: the molecular imprinting process occurs inside the nanocomposite of CsPbBr3 NCs in polycaprolactone (PCL) during the baking step after spin-coating. The sensing capability of the MIP sensors was evaluated and compared to that of the non-imprinted polymer (NIP) by monitoring the photoluminescence (PL) upon exposure to vapours of different explosive taggants, nitro-containing molecules and some organic solvents. The nanocomposite sensors show a fast response time to analytes below 5 s. The molecular imprinting enhances the PL response of MIP sensors and a robust specificity to 3-NT, and an excellent selectivity towards nitro-containing molecules, particularly when NM is used as the template molecule. Chromatography confirms that molecular imprinting of CsPbBr3-PCL with NM provides two times more selective binding sites than 3-NT and four times more sites than non-imprinted polymer sensors. Surface topography also suggests that the molecular imprinting in NM MIP is higher than that in 3-NT MIP. These facts confirm that molecular imprinting successfully generates specific recognition sites, allowing fast detection of 3-NT below 3 s with a limit of detection as low as 0.218 mu g mL(-1).

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