Polygermole nanoaggregate chemical sensor for TNT: enhancement of photoluminescence efficiency by aggregation-induced...

New photoluminescent and nanoscale polygermole nanoaggregates for the detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) were developed by using aggregation-induced emission property. Polygermole nanoaggregates displaying diameter of 40 nm exhibited that photoluminescence (PL) intensity of emission band was increased about 730% when the water fraction was increased to 90% by volume. Relative PL efficiency of polygermole nanoaggregates was exponentially increased to the percent of water fraction and particle diameter was dependent on solvent composition. Particle size of polygermole nanoaggregates was tuned by controlling the water fraction by volume. PL intensity of polygermole nanoaggregates was not changed over a month. This indicated that polygermole nanoaggregates showed neither further aggregation nor degradation. Detection of TNT was achieved from the measuring of quenching PL of polygermole nanoaggregates by adding the TNT A linear Stern-Volmer relationship was observed for the detection of TNT.