Highly Stable and Luminescent Layered Hybrid Materials for Sensitive Detection of TNT Explosives

Self-assembly is an effective way to fabricate optical molecular materials. However, this strategy usually changes the nanoenvironment surrounding fluorescence molecules, yielding low luminescence efficiency. Herein, we report the intercalation of a ruthenium polypyridine (Ru) complex into the interlayer galleries of layered double hydroxides (LDHs), forming a Ru/LDH hybrid. The Ru complex exists as an ordered monolayer state, and the hybrid exhibits high thermal and photo stability. Its luminescence efficiency and lifetime are increased by similar to 1.7 and similar to 1 times, respectively, compared to those of free molecules. We constructed a Ru/LDH sensing platform based on a fluorescence quenching effect for highly sensitive detection of TNT with a detection limit of 4.4 mu M.