A reusable test paper based on a simple salicylaldehyde derivate for the real-time detection of phosgene in gas phase.

Phosgene is an important organic activity intermediate as well as a poisonous gas. However, the widespread use and abuse of phosphene brings potential risks to public safety. So it is very important to detect phosgene quickly and reliably. Up to now, a lot of chemical sensors based on organoluminescent groups have been reported to monitor phosgene. However, most of them have complex molecular structures and cannot be recycled during detection. Herein, we developed a simple and effective fluorescent chemosensor using 5-chlorsalicylaldehyde as luminophor and azanol as recognition site. It exhibited significant fluorescence enhancement, excellent specificity and sensitivity. More importantly, the reusable test paper prepared by this chemosensor has been successfully used in the point-of-care testing of gaseous phosgene.