Tailored BODIPY-based fluorogenic probes for phosgene detection: a comparative evaluation of recognition sites†

We constructed two novel boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based fluorescent probes, BOPD and BOBA, each equipped with the phosgene specific recognition units o-phenylenediamine (OPD) and o-aminobenzylamine (OBA) at the 2-position of the BODIPY core. BOPD and BOBA represent rare examples of BODIPY-based probes that operate by modulating an intramolecular charge transfer process (ICT), as validated by computational studies. We systematically compared the analytic performance of those recognition units while focusing on selectivity, fluorescence turn-on ratios and response times. Probe BOBA, equipped with OBA as the recognition unit, demonstrated a remarkably low detection limit (i.e., 1.40 nM) and a rapid response time (<10 s) for triphosgene. By comparison, BOPD, featuring an OPD unit, showed superior selectivity towards triphosgene, with a detection limit of 93 nM and a response time of up to 30 s. A portable sensing platform was developed by loading BOPD onto test strips made of TLC plates, nonwoven materials and small-headed cotton swabs, which were assessed for their effectiveness in detecting phosgene. We additionally performed the first successful application of a fluorescent probe, namely BOPD, for monitoring the accumulation of phosgene in plants.