Fluorescent Sensing Techniques for Water Detection in Organic Solvents
Summary
Water content in organic solvents profoundly affects reaction outcomes, product stability and safety across chemical, pharmaceutical and energy sectors. Fluorescent sensing techniques exploit changes in emission intensity, wavelength or lifetime upon interaction with water molecules, offering rapid, sensitive and non-invasive detection. Key molecular designs include photo-induced electron transfer (PET) platforms that switch “on” fluorescence when water suppresses an electron transfer quenching pathway; Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) constructs where water alters donor–acceptor coupling; intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) systems whose emission shifts on hydrogen-bond formation; and aggregation-based approaches (AIE or H-aggregation) that modulate emission through solvent-induced assembly. Advances in nanomaterials, such as hydrochromic carbon dots, and in dye engineering, exemplified by BODIPY, coumarin and boronate ester derivatives, have pushed detection limits into the parts-per-million range, enabling real-time monitoring in laboratory and industrial settings.
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Fluorescent Sensing Techniques for Water Detection in Organic Solvents publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fluorescent sensing techniques for water detection in organic solvents across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Photo-induced electron transfer (PET): A process where photoexcited fluorophores transfer an electron to or from a quencher, modulating fluorescence upon analyte binding.
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET): Non-radiative energy transfer between donor and acceptor chromophores, highly sensitive to distance and spectral overlap.
Intramolecular charge transfer (ICT): Redistribution of electron density within a molecule upon excitation, often influenced by hydrogen bonding or polarity changes.
Aggregation-induced emission (AIE): Fluorescence enhancement upon aggregation, counter to aggregation-caused quenching, enabling solvent-triggered signal changes.
H-aggregation: Face-to-face stacking of planar fluorophores that alters optical properties and can boost detection sensitivity in organised assemblies.
References
- C─H···π interaction induced H‐aggregates for wide range water content detection in organic solvents. Aggregate (2024).
- Hydrochromic carbon dots as smart sensors for water sensing in organic solvents. Nanoscale Advances (2019).
- Fluorescent sensor for water based on photo-induced electron transfer and Förster resonance energy transfer: anthracene-(aminomethyl)phenylboronic acid ester-BODIPY structure. RSC Advances (2019).
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