The Controlling Parameters of Pyrene/Polymer Thin Films As Fluorescence Explosive Detecting Materials

The Controlling Parameters of Pyrene/Polymer Thin Films as Fluorescence Explosive Detecting Materials

A most recent report has shown that electrospun pyrene and polystyrene thin films results in high fluorescence and can be fast quenching (within 6 minutes) by nitro-aromatic explosive molecules. Moreover, the sensitivity (at the ppb level) and selectivity (specific to the nitro-aromatic compounds) are exceptional, making the materials an ideal candidate for explosive detection. Nevertheless, it has also been found that the preparation procedure of the thin films plays a key role in both fluorescence and quenching efficiency.  In this presentation, we will discuss over a few parameters which effectively control the performance of the detection and provide some insight to the molecular interaction and aggregation structures of pyrene in the polymer thin films. The preliminary result indicates that polymer and evaporation rate of the solvent can strongly influence the fluorescence, suggesting that the high-performance structure obtained from the electrospun films is presumably dictated by the kinetic of the system.