Ultrafast fluorescence probe to HO vapor based on organic-inorganic hybrid silica nanoparticles.

A kind of organic-inorganic hybrid silica nanoparticles loaded with 1,8-naphthalimide borate ester (NIB@SiO) was used to detect trace hydrogen peroxide (HO) vapor via turn-off mechanism. The detailed studies showed that utilizing silica nanoparticles can improve the adsorption properties and hydrophilicity of the sensing film, accelerate the deboronation reaction between the sensing material and HO and then shorten the response time successively, which is always the disturbing challenge for this deboronation-type fluorescent probe to HO vapor. The fluorescence of NIB@SiO film was quenched greatly under HO saturated vapor within 5 s at room temperature and limit of detection (LOD) was estimated to be 184 ppt, which are among the best reported results. Thus, this study provides an ultrafast and highly sensitive organic-inorganic hybrid fluorescent probe to HO vapor, moreover, a new design strategy for promising HO fluorescent probe is revealed.