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Highly pH-responsive sensor based on amplified spontaneous emission coupled to colorimetry
Qi Zhang1, Jose R Castro Smirnov2, Ruidong Xia1
1Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays &Institute of Advanced Materials, National Jiangsu Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210046, China.
Scientific Reports
|April 8, 2017
Summary
This study presents a novel pH sensing method using laser dye Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) changes triggered by Bromocresol Green (BG) absorption. The technique achieves high-resolution pH detection with sensitivity down to 0.05 in the 10-11 pH range.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Optoelectronics
- Chemical Sensing
Background:
- Accurate pH monitoring is crucial in various scientific and industrial applications.
- Existing high-resolution pH sensing methods can be complex or costly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple, directly-readable, and high-resolution method for pH sensing.
- To utilize the pH-dependent optical properties of Bromocresol Green (BG) and Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) from Stilbene 420 (ST) laser dye.
Main Methods:
- A novel sensing approach based on sharp changes in ASE of a Stilbene 420 (ST) laser dye.
- The method leverages the pH-dependent absorption of Bromocresol Green (BG).
- pH variations were induced by ammonia doping, and BG:ST solution mixtures were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The ASE threshold of BG:ST mixtures showed strong dependence on BG absorption, which varied with BG solution pH.
- Observable ASE on-off or off-on switching was achieved at different pH levels.
- The approach demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.05 for pH changes within the 10-11 pH range.
Conclusions:
- A straightforward and highly sensitive method for high-resolution pH sensing has been successfully demonstrated.
- The developed technique offers a promising alternative for accurate pH monitoring in specific ranges.
- Further optimization of BG concentration and BG:ST ratio can enhance detection capabilities.