An imidazole based ESIPT molecule for fluorescent detection of explosives.

A bright blue emitting excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) molecule, 2-(4,5-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1 H -imidazol-2-yl)-4-chlorolphenol (HPICl) has been designed and synthesized, whose solvent-dependent PLQY is up to 0.53 in EtOH, and 0.46 as solid state. Fluorescence quenching experiments manifest the selective detection of picric acid (PA) and p -nitrophenol ( p -NP) over other nitroaromatic explosive compounds, which is closely related with the presence of OH groups on these two molecules that affect the ESIPT-based luminescence character of HPICl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]