A Nanofilm-Based Fluorescent Sensor toward Highly Efficient Detection of Ethephon

Ethephon (ETH) is widely used to promote fruit ripening and improve fruit quality. However, improper use is harmful to human health and to the environmental safety. Therefore, development of the techniques for on-site and at real-time monitoring of ETH is of importance for its safe use. In this work, we developed a nanofilm-based fluorescence film sensor (FFS) and realized highly efficient detection of ETH in vapor phase, where the detection limit (DL) is <0.2 ppb, the response time is less than 10 s, and the interference is almost free. The unusual sensing performance of the sensor was ascribed to the specific binding of the nanofilm to ETH and to its great porosity, which enables efficient adlayer mass transfer, a requirement for high signal-to-noise ratio. Moreover, visualization-based qualitative sensing is also realized. The nanofilm, a key component of the sensor, was prepared at the humid air/DMSO interface. The building blocks used were a specially designed fluorescent o-carborane derivative (CB-2CHO) and a cross-linker BTN possessing three acylhydrazine groups. The nanofilm as prepared is flexible, uniform, thickness tunable, and photochemically super stable. We believe our effort not only addresses the challenging issue of on-site and at real-time detection of ETH but also provides another route for developing new FFSs via sensing film innovation.