Multiphoton Phosphorescence of Simple Ketones by Visible-light Excitation and Its Consideration for Active Sensing in Space

Abstract

Acetone and butanone were seen to emit blue light around 450 nm when excited in the green by a high intensity pulsed laser. The pathway of this anti-Stokes emission is believed to be multiphoton absorption followed by phosphorescence, with emission being observed in the samples at cryogenic temperatures below their melting point and not seen from either ketone in their cold liquid state. Given the widespread nature of these simple ketones in off-world bodies and their potential importance as an organic resource for Space Resource Utilization, signals which enable the identification and tracing of these materials are of use in applications from remote sensing and mapping to monitoring during extraction processes. While the excitation process has a low efficiency, the ability to use visible light for sensing of these targets has advantages over UV sources, such as the wider availability of high-powered lasers which could be utilized.

Colorimetric Signal Readout for the Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds Using a Printable Glass-Based Dielectric Barrier Discharge-Type Helium Plasma Detector

“…Ethanol (395 ng) caused the plasma color to change from lilac to white with a very light purple color hue, owing to the presence of both ethyl and hydroxyl groups in its molecular structure . Acetone (392 ng) caused the plasma to become white but with a very light blue color, mainly contributed by carbonyl in its molecular structure . For dichloromethane, a very light green tint was visible in the white-dominated plasma due to the chlorine atoms being ionized into chloride ions .…”

“…73 Acetone (392 ng) caused the plasma to become white but with a very light blue color, mainly contributed by carbonyl in its molecular structure. 74 For dichloromethane, a very light green tint was visible in the white-dominated plasma due to the chlorine atoms being ionized into chloride ions. 75 Injecting ambient air into the plasma chamber resulted in two major peaks, and the plasma color changed from lilac to dark purple.…”