title: Multifunctional inorganic-organic hybrid nanospheres for rapid and selective luminescence detection of TNT in mixed nitroaromatics via magnetic separation.
abstract: Rapid, sensitive and selective detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in aqueous solution differentiating from other nitroaromatics and independent of complicated instruments is in high demand for public safety and environmental monitoring. Despite of many methods for TNT detection, it is hard to differentiate TNT from 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) due to their highly similar structures and properties. In this work, via a simple and versatile method, LaF3ːCe(3+)-Tb(3+)and Fe3O4 nanoparticle-codoped multifunctional nanospheres were prepared through self-assembly of the building blocks. The luminescence of these nanocomposites was dramatically quenched via adding nitroaromatics into the aqueous solution. After the magnetic separation, however, the interference of other nitroaromatics including 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), and nitrobenzene (NB) was effectively overcome due to the removal of these coexisting nitroaromatics from the surface of nanocomposites. Due to the formation of TNT(-)-RCONH3(+), the TNT was attached to the surface of the nanocomposites and was quantitatively detected by the postexposure luminescence quenching. Meanwhile, the luminescence intensity is negatively proportional to the concentration of TNT in the range of 0.01-5.0 μg/mL with the 3σ limit of detection (LOD) of 10.2 ng/mL. Therefore, the as-developed method provides a novel strategy for rapid and selective detection of TNT in the mixture solution of nitroaromatics by postexposure luminescence quenching.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, School of Science, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Yingxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Leyu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D053834:Explosive Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007509:Irritants / Q000032:analysis*; D028581:Lanthanoid Series Elements / Q000737:chemistry; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D059346:Magnets; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000737:chemistry; D010851:Picrates / Q000737:chemistry; D014303:Trinitrotoluene / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D053834:Explosive Agents; D007509:Irritants; D028581:Lanthanoid Series Elements; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D010851:Picrates; D014303:Trinitrotoluene; C016403:2,4-dinitrotoluene; C005858:picric acid; C036077:nitrobenzene; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide
keywords: Luminescence; Nanocomposites; Nitroaromatics; TNT detection