Stabilization of Polymeric Nanofibers Layers for Use as Real-Time and In-Flow Photonic Sensors

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• High surface-to-volume ratio is crucial for sensor sensitivity.
• Porous materials, like polymeric nanofibers (NFs), offer large surface areas for analyte infiltration.
• Electrospun NFs are promising for low-cost photonic sensors but suffer from spectrum drift.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate methods for reducing spectrum drift in electrospun NF photonic sensors.
• To enhance the stability and accuracy of NFs for real-time sensing applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of polymeric nanofibers (NFs) using electrospinning.
• Application of various chemical and thermal treatments to the NF layers.
• Characterization of sensor performance, focusing on spectrum drift and sensitivity.

Main Results:

• Thermal treatment at 190 °C for 3-5 hours effectively minimized spectrum drift.
• Achieved spectrum drifts below 5 pm/min.
• Attained high sensor sensitivity of 518 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) in the visible spectrum.

Conclusions:

• Optimized thermal treatment significantly improves the stability of electrospun NF photonic sensors.
• Reduced spectrum drift enables more accurate real-time detection of analytes.
• This advancement paves the way for reliable, high-performance, low-cost photonic sensing devices.