Development of Film Sensors Based on Conjugated Polymers for Copper (II) Ion Detection

Abstract

A fluorescent film sensor was prepared by chemical modification of a polyfluorene derivative on a glass‐plate surface. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ellipsometry measurements demonstrate the covalent attachment of the polyfluorene derivative to the glass‐plate surface. The sensor was used to detect Cu2+ ions in aqueous solution by a mechanism exploiting fluorescence quenching of conjugated polymers. Among the tested metal ions, the film sensor presents good selectivity towards Cu2+ ions. Further experiments show that the sensing process is reversible. Moreover, sensory microarrays based on conjugated polymers targeting Cu2+ ions are constructed, which display similar sensing performance to that of the film sensor. The structural motif in which conjugated polymers are covalently confined to a solid substrate surface offers several attractive advantages for sensing applications. First, in comparison with film sensors in which small fluorescent molecules are employed as sensing elements, the sensitivity of our new film sensor is enhanced due to the signal‐amplifying effect of the conjugated polymers. Second, the film sensors or microarrays can be used in aqueous environments, which is crucial for their potential use in a wide range of real‐world systems. Since the sensing process is reversible, the sensing materials can be reused. Third, unlike physically coated polymer chains, the covalent attachment of the grafted chains onto a material surface precludes desorption and imparts long‐term stability of the polymer chains.

Luminescent films for chemo- and biosensing

“…218 The immobilization of polyfluorene was achieved by the covalent attachment of amine groups in the amino-functionalized polyfluorene derivative polymer (PF-NH 2 ) to the epoxy-terminated glass surface. 218 The immobilization of polyfluorene was achieved by the covalent attachment of amine groups in the amino-functionalized polyfluorene derivative polymer (PF-NH 2 ) to the epoxy-terminated glass surface.…”

Graphene-quantum-dots-based ratiometric fluorescent probe for visual detection of copper ion

“…Due to the biological and environmental effect of Cu 2+ , numerous methods for detecting Cu 2+ have been developed in the past few years. Among these methods, the fluorescent sensor has drawn much more attentions because of its obvious advantages in sensitivity, selectivity, response time and low cost [4] .…”

Facile fabrication of fluorescent poly(5-cyanoindole) thin film sensor via electropolymerization for detection of Fe3+ in aqueous solution

“…There are a lot of reports on FCPs as metal-ion sensors in the homogeneous phase [10][11][12][13]. However, so far, few FCPs thin film sensors for metal-ion detection have been reported [14][15][16][17]. Fluorescent sensing films are practical in the field in terms of recyclability, environment-friendly, and ease to make sensing device.…”