Aggregation-induced emission-active indium complex as fluorescent turn-off chemosensor for perfluoroalkyl substances

Area of Science:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental pollutants.
• Developing selective and sensitive detection methods for PFAS is crucial.
• Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials offer unique optical properties for sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel indium(III) chloride complex exhibiting AIE.
• To utilize this complex as a selective turn-off fluorescent chemosensor for PFAS.
• To investigate the sensing mechanism and selectivity for specific PFAS.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of a novel indium(III) chloride complex.
• Investigation of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties.
• Fluorescence spectroscopy to study the interaction with various perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
• Computational analysis to understand the sensing mechanism.

Main Results:

• The indium(III) chloride complex demonstrated significant AIE properties.
• The complex exhibited selective turn-off fluorescence quenching in the presence of perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
• Luminescence quenching is attributed to the stabilization of ground state molecular orbitals relative to excited states upon interaction with PFAS.
• Selectivity was correlated with the dipole moment and emission intensity changes.

Conclusions:

• The novel indium(III) chloride AIE complex is a promising platform for selective PFAS detection.
• This sensor offers a sensitive method for identifying specific 'forever chemicals' like PFOA.
• The findings contribute to advancements in environmental monitoring and chemical sensing technologies.