A Selective Fluorescence Sensor for Pretreatment-free Detection of Practical Formaldehyde Reagents

doi:10.1007/s40242-026-5275-1

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2): 677-682.doi: 10.1007/s40242-026-5275-1

A Selective Fluorescence Sensor for Pretreatment-free Detection of Practical Formaldehyde Reagents

GUO Shigang^1,2, HUANG Haiqiao³, HAN Fuping², WANG Shaojun¹, LI Xin^2,4, SUN Wen^2,4, FAN Jiangli^2,4, DU Jianjun^2,4, ZHANG Xiwen¹, PENG Xiaojun^2,4

1. SINOPEC Dalian Research Institute of Petroleum and Petrochemicals Co., Ltd., Dalian 116024, P. R. China;
2. State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, P. R. China;
3. Department of Urology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, P. R. China;
4. Ningbo Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo 315016, P. R. China

Received:2025-11-11 Online:2026-04-01 Published:2026-04-02
Contact: FAN Jiangli,E-mail:fanjl@dlut.edu.cn;DU Jianjun,E-mail:dujj@dlut.edu.cn E-mail:fanjl@dlut.edu.cn;dujj@dlut.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21822804, 22090011, 21878039, 21925802, 22338005), the Project of the Liaoning Binhai Laboratory, China (No. LBLB-2023-03), the NSFC-Liaoning United Fund, China (No. U1908202) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (No. DUT22LAB601).

Abstract

Abstract: Formaldehyde (FA) is an important chemical due to its reactivity and versatility. The concentration of formaldehyde reagents is the key index of production and trade. The development of optical sensors for the detection of formaldehyde reagents has hardly been reported. This paper presents the design and principle of a novel optical sensor, naphthalimide (Nap)-FA, for formaldehyde (about 13 mol/L) detection without pretreatment. Nap-FA reveals low fluorescence in aqueous environment and wide pH range. Upon the addition of FA, the fluorescence intensity of Nap-FA increased rapidly, with a response time of less than 10 min. Nap-FA demonstrates a linear fluorescence response to FA in the wide range of 0.01—13.76 mol/L with high selectivity in the presence of common impurities and formaldehyde polymerization inhibitor. Compared to standard methods, Nap-FA can be used as a fast and reliable tool for detecting formaldehyde reagents.

Key words: Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde reagent, Sensor, Fluorescence detection, Pretreatment-free, Chemical

GUO Shigang, HUANG Haiqiao, HAN Fuping, WANG Shaojun, LI Xin, SUN Wen, FAN Jiangli, DU Jianjun, ZHANG Xiwen, PENG Xiaojun. A Selective Fluorescence Sensor for Pretreatment-free Detection of Practical Formaldehyde Reagents[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2026, 42(2): 677-682.

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A Selective Fluorescence Sensor for Pretreatment-free Detection of Practical Formaldehyde Reagents

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