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

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.