sensors Review Perylene Diimide-Based Fluorescent and Colorimetric Sensors for Environmental Detection Shuai Chen 1,2,3, Zexu Xue 1, Nan Gao 1, Xiaomei Yang 2 and Ling Zang 2,3,* 1 Flexible Electronics Innovation Institute and School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, Jiangxi, China;
[email protected] (S.C.);
[email protected] (Z.X.);
[email protected] (N.G.) 2 Nano Institute of Utah, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
[email protected] 3 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 5 January 2020; Accepted: 7 February 2020; Published: 9 February 2020 Abstract: Perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PDI) and its derivatives exhibit excellent thermal, chemical and optical stability, strong electron affinity, strong visible-light absorption and unique fluorescence on/off features. The combination of these features makes PDIs ideal molecular frameworks for development in a broad range of sensors for detecting environmental pollutants such as heavy 2+ 2+ 2+ 2+ metal ions (e.g., Cu , Cd , Hg , Pd , etc.), inorganic anions (e.g., F−, ClO4−, PO4−, etc.), as well as poisonous organic compounds such as nitriles, amines, nitroaromatics, benzene homologues, etc. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advance in research and development of PDI-based fluorescent sensors, as well as related colorimetric and multi-mode sensor systems, for environmental detection in aqueous, organic or mixed solutions. The molecular design of PDIs and structural optimization of the sensor system (regarding both sensitivity and selectivity) in response to varying analytes are discussed in detail.