Microwave-assisted synthesis of highly fluorescent nanoparticles of a melamine-based porous covalent organic framework for trace-level detection of nitroaromatic explosives

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a new generation of porous materials constructed from light elements linked by strong covalent bonds. Herein we present rapid preparation of highly fluorescent nanoparticles of a new type of COF, i.e. melamine-based porous polymeric network SNW-1, by a microwave-assisted synthesis route. Although the synthesis of SNW-1 has to be carried out at 180 °C for 3 d under conventional reflux conditions, SNW-1 nanoparticles could be obtained in 6 h by using such a microwave-assisted method. The results obtained have clearly demonstrated that microwave-assisted synthesis is a simple yet highly efficient approach to nanoscale COFs or other porous polymeric materials. Remarkably, the as-synthesized SNW-1 nanoparticles exhibit extremely high sensitivity and selectivity, as well as fast response to nitroaromatic explosives such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,4,6-trinitrophenylmethylnitramine (Tetryl) and picric acid (PA) without interference by common organic solvents, which is due to the nanoscaled size and unique hierarchical porosity of such fluorescence-based sensing material.