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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Qualitative Identification of Carboxylic Acids, Boronic Acids, and Amines Using Cruciform Fluorophores
Published on: August 19, 2013
An interface-assembled turn-on fluorescent nanofilm for highly selective detection of trifluoroacetic acid vapour via
Ling Zhang1, Zebiao Qiu1, Ruijuan Wen1
1Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education; Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of New Concept Sensors and Molecular Materials; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, P. R. China. lingya.peng@snnu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Turn-on fluorescent nanofilms are attractive for gas sensing but rare, because protonation of donor-π-acceptor systems usually promotes charge separation and quenches emission. Here a gas-liquid interface-assembled DTH-DFP nanofilm shows protonation-induced blue-shifted turn-on fluorescence to trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) vapour, offering a transparent, fast, and sensitive platform (LOD 1.48 ppm).

