Tailored BODIPY-based fluorogenic probes for phosgene detection: a comparative evaluation of recognition sites

Area of Science:

• Chemical sensing
• Fluorescent probes
• Boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) chemistry

Background:

• Phosgene is a highly toxic industrial gas.
• Development of sensitive and selective detection methods for phosgene is crucial for safety and environmental monitoring.
• Boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) probes offer unique photophysical properties suitable for sensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel BODIPY-based fluorescent probes for phosgene detection.
• To investigate the analytical performance, including selectivity, sensitivity, and response time, of the developed probes.
• To evaluate the practical applicability of the probes in a portable sensing platform and for monitoring phosgene in plants.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of two novel BODIPY-based fluorescent probes, BOPD and BOBA, incorporating phosgene recognition units (o-phenylenediamine and o-aminobenzylamine, respectively).
• Characterization of probe properties using fluorescence spectroscopy and computational studies (intramolecular charge transfer - ICT).
• Systematic comparison of probe performance for triphosgene detection, including selectivity, fluorescence turn-on ratios, and response times.
• Development and assessment of a portable sensing platform using BOPD-loaded test strips.
• Application of BOPD for monitoring phosgene accumulation in plants.

Main Results:

• BOPD and BOBA probes operate via an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism.
• Probe BOBA exhibited a low detection limit (1.40 nM) and rapid response (<10 s) for triphosgene.
• Probe BOPD demonstrated superior selectivity for triphosgene with a detection limit of 93 nM and response time up to 30 s.
• A portable sensing platform using BOPD-loaded test strips was successfully developed.
• BOPD was successfully applied for the first time to monitor phosgene accumulation in plants.

Conclusions:

• Novel BODIPY-based fluorescent probes (BOPD and BOBA) were successfully synthesized and characterized for phosgene detection.
• The probes exhibit distinct analytical advantages, with BOBA offering high sensitivity and speed, and BOPD providing superior selectivity and plant monitoring capabilities.
• The developed portable sensing platform and plant monitoring application highlight the practical utility of these fluorescent probes in real-world scenarios.