Luminescence Based Detection of Trinitrophenol and Aromatic Organophosphorous Pesticides Using a Coordination Polymer

The fluorescent properties of a coordination polymer (CP), 1, were used as turn-on and turn-off detector for nitroaromatics and organophosporus pesticides respectively. Compound 1 exhibits exceptionally high efficiency for the detection of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) through luminescence quenching with a quenching constant [KSV] value of 2.30 X 105 M-1, highest among the known coordination polymers. Minimum detection limit achieved by the proposed method was 43 ppb. This emission property of 1 was also used successfully to detect triazophos and chlorpyrifos, aromatic organophosphorus pesticides, which enhanced the emission intensity by 238% and a red shift of ~70 nm in case of former. Non aromatic pesticides like malathion and acephate did not show any increase in the emission intensity. Minimum detection limits for triazophos and chlorpyrifos, aromatic organophosphorus pesticides, were 0.6 and 0.7 ppm respectively.