Fluorescent Chemosensors Based on Conjugated Polymers

Fluorescent chemosensors founded on conjugated polymers marry extended π-electron delocalisation with selective analyte recognition, yielding systems of exceptional sensitivity and signal amplification. Their rigid backbones and tunable side chains facilitate efficient photoluminescence and tailored binding sites for ions, small molecules or biomolecules. Detection mechanisms commonly involve photoinduced electron or energy transfer, aggregation-induced emission and intramolecular charge transfer, leading to “turn-on”, “turn-off” or ratiometric responses. Key receptor motifs include N-heterocycles, terpyridine units, polybenzimidazoles and fluorene derivatives, which confer high affinity for metal cations, oxyanions or nitroaromatics. Nanostructuring into nanoparticles, fibres or thin films enhances surface area and enables rapid, on-site assays. Applications span environmental monitoring of heavy metals and pollutants, food safety assays and biomedical diagnostics. Contemporary efforts focus on improving water solubility, photostability and selectivity in complex matrices, alongside integration into test strips and logic-gate devices for portable readout. The field advances through rational design of polymer architecture and functional side chains, underpinned by detailed structure–property correlations, opening avenues for real-time, ultra-trace detection in diverse settings.

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Fluorescent Chemosensors Based on Conjugated Polymers publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in fluorescent chemosensors based on conjugated polymers across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Conjugated polymer: A macromolecule with alternating single and double bonds along its backbone, enabling delocalised π-electron systems and efficient light absorption and emission.

Fluorescent chemosensor: A molecular assembly that produces a measurable change in fluorescence upon interaction with a specific chemical analyte.

Photoluminescence: Emission of light from a substance following absorption of photons, encompassing fluorescence and phosphorescence phenomena.

Limit of detection (LOD): The lowest analyte concentration at which a sensor’s signal can be reliably distinguished from background noise.

Stern–Volmer constant: A parameter quantifying the efficiency of fluorescence quenching by a given concentration of quencher species.

References

1. Fluorescent chemosensors based on conjugated polymers with N-heterocyclic moieties: two decades of progress. Polymer Chemistry (2020).
2. High-Quality Conjugated Polymers Achieving Ultra-Trace Detection of Cr2O72− in Agricultural Products. Molecules (2022).
3. N-alkylation briefly constructs tunable multifunctional sensor materials: Multianalyte detection and reversible adsorption. iScience (2021).
4. Preparation of Large Conjugated Polybenzimidazole Fluorescent Materials and Their Application in Metal Ion Detection. Polymers (2021).