A Ratiometric Fluorescent Nanoprobe for Ultrafast Detection of Formaldehyde in Wood and Food Samples

Abstract

AbstractFluorescent sensing of formaldehyde (FA) in the environment is of great significance for human health. However, the development of ratiometric fluorescent probes for ultrasensitive FA detection is challenging due to the lack of suitable strategies. In this study, we demonstrate that ratiometric FA nanoprobes can be facile constructed by integrating two simultaneously excitable fluorophores into a polymer matrix. Using this strategy, we developed a ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe (Nano‐FAP‐1) for the highly sensitive detection of FA in environmental samples by incorporating a 4‐hydrazino‐1,8‐naphthalimide derivative (Na‐FA) as the receptor and 7‐diethylaminocoumarin‐3‐carboxyl ethyl acetate (Cou‐1) as the reference into a Pluronic F‐127 matrix. The probe achieved a highly sensitive and selective response to low concentrations of FA, with a response time of fewer than 5 s and a detection limit of 0.407 μM. It is worth noting that the probe can be used for the determination of FA in wood and food samples, demonstrating its potential application in the field of toxic gas monitoring and environmental protection.