Rapid and sensitive screening of multiple polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by a reusable fluorescent sensor array.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Detecting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is challenging due to their stability and structural similarity.
• Existing methods often lack the sensitivity and throughput required for comprehensive environmental analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, sensitive, and cost-effective sensing strategy for simultaneous detection of multiple PAHs.
• To utilize the inner filter effect (IFE) with a reusable fluorescent sensor array for high-throughput PAH analysis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a reusable fluorescent sensor array using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite carbon quantum dots (CDs) films.
• Utilizing the inner filter effect (IFE) where CDs' fluorescence is modulated by PAHs' UV absorption.
• Employing multivariate pattern recognition for data analysis and PAH identification.

Main Results:

• The sensor array demonstrated high-throughput discrimination and sensitive quantification of 16 priority PAHs.
• Achieved 100% classification accuracy and a low detection limit of 57 nM for PAHs.
• Validated the method through rapid and accurate screening of environmental samples, showing consistency with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Conclusions:

• The proposed IFE-based sensor array offers a green, feasible, and cost-effective approach for environmental analysis.
• This strategy provides an advanced method for high-throughput sensing of structurally similar pollutants.
• The reusable array shows significant potential for real-world environmental monitoring applications.