A universal aggregation-induced emission probe for dialkylaminoethylthiols to determine V-type nerve agents

An aggregation-induced emission (AIE) probe, 4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl acrylate (TPE-ACY), has been developed for the prompt determination of VX, one of the most dangerous chemical warfare agents. This probe contains a tetraphenylethene unit and an α, β-unsaturated ester unit as the recognition site for diisopropylaminoethylthiol (DISH), the P-S bond hydrolysis product or the key precursor of VX. TPE-ACY exhibits rapid fluorescence response to DISH with a low limit of detection of 0.23 μM. Moreover, TPE-ACY effectively eliminates interference from other substances and could exhibit characteristic AIE fluorescence through its universal reactivity to dialkylaminoethylthiols closely associated with different kinds of V-type nerve agents.