Amplifying fluorescence sensing based on inverse opal photonic crystal toward trace TNT detectionElectronic Supplementary Information (ESI) available: Details of emission spectra of films 1-3 on inverse opal PCem-blue. See DOI: 10.1039/c0jm02554b

A fluorescence-amplifying method based on photonic crystal (PC) has been demonstrated for trace TNT detection. The fluorescence enhancement for TNT detection on the optimized PC can be up to 60.6-fold in comparison to that of the control sample, which combines the slow photon effect of PC and large surface areas of the inverse opal structure. Furthermore, the quenching efficiency of the PC-based sensor achieves 80% after exposure to TNT vapor for 300 s. The results suggest that the fluorescence-amplifying method based on PC has enormous potential for the development of highly efficient fluorescence sensors toward detection of trace TNT or other explosives. A fluorescence-amplifying method based on photonic crystal has been demonstrated for trace TNT detection, which combines the slow photon effect of PC and large surface areas of the inverse opal structure.