Photochromic sensors: a versatile approach for recognition and discrimination

Photochromic sensors are widely used in detecting and monitoring analytes. Due to the photoswitchable properties, photochromic sensors show advantages in providing more recognition states and sensing information, and thus better sensitivity to external stimulations. Via reasonable design of photochromic sensors with various ionophores, dyes, platforms and metallic complexations, it is promising to achieve visual, sensitive and high-throughput detection. In this review, we summarized the applications of photochromic sensors in the areas of specific recognition and multi-analyte discrimination, based on their isomerization to light, as well as pH, temperature, solvent, etc. Specially, the multi-analyte determination was introduced, which has aroused extensive interest in recent years.