Ormosil-coated conjugated polymers for the detection of explosives in aqueous environments

Ross N Gillanders; Iain A Campbell; James M E Glackin; Ifor D W Samuel; Graham A Turnbull

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2017.10.062

Ormosil-coated conjugated polymers for the detection of explosives in aqueous environments

Talanta. 2018 Mar 1:179:426-429. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2017.10.062. Epub 2017 Nov 24.

Authors

Ross N Gillanders¹, Iain A Campbell¹, James M E Glackin¹, Ifor D W Samuel², Graham A Turnbull³

Affiliations

¹ Organic Semiconductor Centre, SUPA, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, Scotland, United Kingdom.
² Organic Semiconductor Centre, SUPA, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, Scotland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: idws@st-andrews.ac.uk.
³ Organic Semiconductor Centre, SUPA, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, Scotland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: gat@st-andrews.ac.uk.

PMID: 29310255
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2017.10.062

Abstract

A fluorescence-based sensor for detecting explosives, based on a conjugated polymer coated with an ormosil layer, has been developed for use in aqueous environments. The conjugated polymer Super Yellow was spin-coated onto glass substrates prior to a further spin-coating of an MTEOS/TFP-TMOS-based ormosil film, giving an inexpensive, solution-based barrier material for ruggedization of the polymer to an aqueous environment. The sensors showed good sensitivity to 2,4-DNT in the aqueous phase at micromolar and millimolar concentrations, and also showed good recovery of fluorescence when the explosive was removed.

Keywords: Aqueous explosives; Optical sensing; Organic semiconductors; Sol-gels; Super yellow.