Supramolecular Ionic\nNanomaterials via Ionic Self-Assembly\nwith High Thermal and Water Stability for the Detection of Trinitrophenol

Two supramolecular ionic nanomaterials (SINs) were successfully\nprepared by multidentate imidazolium organic salts and multidentate\nacid via ionic self-assembly (ISA), which is formed by tetraphenylethylene\n(TPE)-based organic salts (TPE-COS and TPE-C<sub>16</sub>OS) and 4,4′,4″,4‴-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrabenzenesulfonic\nacid (TPE-SO<sub>3</sub>H) in MeOH. These SINs exhibited high thermal\nstability and are insoluble in solvents. Furthermore, as fluorescence\nsensors, they showed high sensitivity and selectivity in the detection\nof nitroaromatic explosives, especially for trinitrophenol (TNP);\nthe linear range of SIN-1 and SIN-2 was 0.4–128 μM and\n1–128 μM; their λex was set as 340 and 350 nm;\nλem was 489 and 458 nm; and the related limit of detection was\n0.87 and 0.42 μM, respectively. The quenching mechanism of TNP\nfor SINs is the synergistic effect of the energy transfer, the inner\nfilter, and photoelectron transfer.