ABSTRACT:A highly gas permeable polymer, poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) (poly(TMSP)), was applied as a matrix of the optical oxygen sensor using the oxygen-induced luminescence quenching of octaethylporphyrin (OEP) platinum (PtOEP) or palladium complex (PdOEP). OEP complex was homogeneously dispersed in poly(TMSP) to give a mechanical tough film with thickness of 10 µm. The luminescence intensity of OEP complex dispersed in the poly(TMSP) films drastically decreased with an increase in oxygen concentration. The oxygen sensitivity of the film (I 0 /I 100 ) was very high and estimated to be 225 for PtOEP and 121 for PdOEP, respectively. The Stern-Volmer constants of PtOEP and PdOEP dispersed in poly(TMSP) films are estimated to be 6.6 and 17%−1 , respectively. These results indicate that OEP metal complex dispersed in the poly(TMSP) films are novel optical sensing material for trace analysis of oxygen. KEY WORDS Poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) / Optical Oxygen Sensor / Metalloporphyrin / Luminescence Quenching / Trace Analysis for Oxygen / The measurement of oxygen concentration is important in various fields of chemical, clinical analysis and environmental monitoring. 1-3 The sensing system for oxygen concentration is classified into titration, 4 amperometry, 5 chemiluminescence, 6 thermoluminescence 7 and colorinmetry. 8 Among these systems, the most popular method is the amperometric method using an oxygen electrode, 5 in which the rate of oxygen diffusion to the cathode is measured. This system, however, is limited because of the stability of the electrode surface. Recently, a variety of devices and sensors based on luminescence quenching of organic dyes were developed to measure oxygen concentrations or partial pressures. Many studies on optical oxygen sensors are used organic dyes, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pyrene and its derivatives, quinoline and phenanthrene), 9-15 transition metal complexes (ruthenium, 16-21 osmium 22 or rhenium-polypyridine complexes 23 ), and metalloporphyrins, 24-26 dispersed in polymers (silicone polymer, polystyrene, etc.). Among these organic dyes, platinum and palladium porphyrins show strong phosphorescence at room temperature. 27 Especially, platinum and palladium octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP and PdOEP) display strong room-temperature phosphorescence with high quantum yield (φ P < 0.5) and long lifetime (ca. 100 µs for PtOEP and ca. 770 µs for PdOEP). 27 Some optical oxygen sensors based on the phosphorescence quenching of PtOEP or PdOEP have been developed by dispersing it in polymer † To whom correspendence should be addressed.