Recent Advancements for the Recognization of Nitroaromatic Explosives Using Calixarene Based Fluorescent Probes

In this era, explosives are easily available compared to the early days. Thus, more effective detection of explosives has become the main concern of homeland security. In the past decades, a large number of sensing materials have been developed for the detection of explosives in solid, vapor, and solution states through fluorescence methods. In recent years, great efforts have been devoted to developing new fluorescent materials with various sensing mechanisms for detecting explosives in order to achieve super-sensitivity, ultra-selectivity, as well as fast response time. Modified calixarenes have high potentials to detect nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) due to their favorable structural properties. It summarizes the detection of NACs by the modified calixarene system formed by the complex. Various methodologies responsible for complex formation and binding mechanisms (PET, FRET, EE, etc.) are the centerpiece of this review. Finally, conclusions and future outlook are presented and discussed.