Highly-sensitive optical organic vapor sensor through polymeric swelling induced variation of fluorescent intensity

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06101-8
• Publication Date: 2018-09-12T13:47:58Z
• Authors: Xiangyu Jiang; Hanfei Gao; Xiqi Zhang; Jinhui Pang; Yunqi Li; Kan Li; Yuchen Wu; Shuzhou Li; Jia Zhu; Yen Wei; Lei Jiang
• Keywords: Saturation (graph theory)

Traditional optical organic vapor sensors with solvatochromic shift mechanisms have lower sensitivity due to weak intermolecular interactions. Here, we report a general strategy prepare higher sensor through polymeric swelling-induced variation of fluorescent intensity. We combine one-dimensional structures and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules together form polymer/AIE microwires array as sensor. The prepared based on different commercial polymers can successfully classify identify various vapors. Among them, the poly(vinyl butyral)/AIE detect methanol low 0.05% its saturation pressure. According theory like dissolves like, further fabricate derived from designable polyethersulfones, regulating their side chains, distinguish similar vapors benzene toluene. Both experimental theoretical simulation results reveal that specific molecular interactions between polyethersulfones improve recognition performance sensors.