AIE or AIE(P)E-active transition metal complexes for highly sensitive detection of nitroaromatic explosives

Nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) that are components of explosives have become seriously endanger human health, environmental cleaning, national homeland security, etc. The development of appropriate probes for the detection of NACs with desired easy operability, rapid response, reusability and high sensitivity and selectivity advantages has remained a great challenge. Over the past few years, great efforts have been made toward the development of advanced functional materials based on aggregation-induced emission or aggregation induced emission (phosphorescence) enhancement (AIE or AIE(P)E)-active transition metal complexes(AIEgens)and their remarkable achievements in the detection of NACs due to their high quantum yield and tunable photophysical properties. In this review, a brief description of luminescent AIEgens is presented, accompanied by a study on the Ir(III), Re(I) and Pt(II)-based AIEgens as sensing materials for nitroexplosives detection. Then, the trends and challenges of AIE or AIE(P)E-active transition metal complexes for the sensitive and selective detection of nitroaromatic explosives are also discussed.