Strong Fluorescent Smart Organogel as a Dual Sensing Material for Volatile Acid and Organic Amine Vapors

An L-phenylalanine derivative (C12PhBPCP) consisting of a strong emission fluorophore with benzoxazole and cyano groups is designed and synthesized to realize dual responses to volatile acid and organic amine vapors. The photophysical properties and self-assembly of the said derivative in the gel phase are also studied. C12PhBPCP can gelate organic solvents and self assemble into 1D nanofibers in the gels. UVNis absorption spectral results show H-aggregate formation during gelation, which indicates strong exciton coupling between fluorophores. Both wet gel and xero- gel emit strong green fluorescence because the cyano group suppresses fluorescence quenching in the self-assemblies. Moreover, the xerogel film with strong green fluorescence can be used as a dual chemosensor for quantitative detection of volatile acid and organic amine vapors with fast response times and low detection limits owing to its large surface area and amplified fluorescence quenching. The detection limits are 796 ppt and 25 ppb for gaseous aniline and trifluoroacetic acid (TEA), respectively.