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Making the Invisible Visible: Colorimetric and Spectroscopic Detection of Colorless Liquids via Solvatochromic Glass
Tereza Navrátilová1, Martin Havlík1, Ameneh Tatar1
1Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, Praha 166 28, Czech Republic.
ACS Omega
|March 23, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel method for detecting colorless solvents using functionalized glass surfaces. The reusable material provides a robust platform for selective solvent detection and discrimination via spectrophotometry.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Absorption spectrophotometry is limited for colorless analytes.
- Developing new methods for detecting colorless substances is crucial for analytical chemistry.
- Solvatochromic dyes offer potential for sensing applications due to their spectral sensitivity to environmental polarity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a robust and reusable transducer for the selective detection and discrimination of colorless organic solvents.
- To functionalize glass surfaces with a stilbazolium-based solvatochromic dye for enhanced sensing capabilities.
- To demonstrate the applicability of modified glass surfaces in UV/vis absorption spectrophotometry for colorless analytes.
Main Methods:
- Covalent immobilization of a stilbazolium-based solvatochromic dye onto glass beads and slides using a triethoxysilyl group.
- Spectroscopic evaluation of the functionalized glass materials using UV/vis absorption spectrophotometry.
- Analysis of spectral data using principal component analysis for solvent discrimination.
Main Results:
- The functionalized glass surfaces exhibited distinct changes in UV/vis absorption spectra in response to different solvents.
- Unique spectral signatures were resolved for over 20 different solvents, including structurally similar compounds.
- The method allowed for visual color discrimination and qualitative analysis of colorless solvents without derivatization.
Conclusions:
- Glass surfaces covalently modified with a stilbazolium-based solvatochromic dye serve as effective transducers for colorless solvent detection.
- This approach offers a nondestructive, real-time, and reusable platform for chemical sensing, overcoming limitations of traditional spectrophotometry.
- The developed method enables selective detection and discrimination of colorless organic solvents with high resolution.
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