A near-infrared fluorescent probe based on the DCI skeleton for highly selective phosgene detection and its...

Phosgene posed significant potential hazards to life and public safety stands as one of the deadliest chemical weapons. Our study presents the design and synthesis of DM-phos and DM-CO. And DM-phos has been identified as the AIEgen probe for efficient phosgene detection in the NIR wavelength range. Demonstrating exceptional specificity and high sensitivity, DM-phos exhibited the remarkable fluorescence enhancement at 693 nm after it interacted with phosgene. Its limit of detection reaches an ultra-low level of 8.49 × 10^-9 M and surpassed the performance of numerous previously reported probes. Through comprehensive theoretical calculations and crystallographic analysis, we comparatively investigated the J-aggregation potential property of DM-phos and DM-CO, and elucidated the critical influence of carbonyl group in their respective recognition mechanisms. The practical applicability of DM-phos was validated through simulated phosgene leakage scenarios to detect residual phosgene in sand matrices successfully. Also, we developed an electrospun nanofibrous device incorporating DM-phos to achieve device-level phosgene detection. This research provides the innovative solution for high-performance phosgene monitoring in the NIR region, advancing chemical threat detection capabilities.