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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Structure and Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #263301
Title: Ethylene sensing by silver(I) salt-impregnated luminescent films

Author
item Santiago Cintron, Michael
item GREEN, OMAR - University Of Wisconsin
item BURSTYN, JUDITH - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Inorganic Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/31/2011
Publication Date: 2/22/2012
Citation: Santiago Cintron, M., Green, O., Burstyn, J. 2012. Ethylene sensing by silver(I) salt-impregnated luminescent films. Inorganic Chemistry. 51:2737-2746. doi:10.1021/ic102590f.

Interpretive Summary: Luminescent polymers or oligomer films enriched with silver salts are effective optical sensors for the gas ethylene and other gaseous molecules with a low molecular weight. Films composed of various silver salts and polymers or oligomers demonstrate a selective response to gases capable of forming chemical bonds with silver ions in the form of emission intensity reduction that is proportional to the pressure of the sensed gas. The role of the interaction between the silver salts and the polymers was revealed through comparisons of the responses of films composed of combinations of silver salts and polymers.

Technical Abstract: Luminescent oligomer /polymer films impregnated with Ag(I) salts are effective sensors for small gas molecules such as ethylene. Films composed of various Ag(I) salts (i.e. AgBF4, AgSbF6, AgB(C6F5)4, AgClO4 and AgOTf) and polymers (i.e. poly(vinylphenylketone) (PVPK), polystyrene (PS) or oligomers (i.e. 1, 4-bis(methylstyryl)benzene (BMSB) ) exhibit selective responses to analytes capable of forming bonds with Ag(I) with luminescence quenching proportional to the pressure of analyte. Some Ag(I) salts respond to analytes in the absence of polymer; but, the polymer support enhances the stability and response characteristics of the Ag(I) salts by facilitating ion-pair separation. The role of the interaction between the Ag(I) salts and the polymers was revealed through comparisons of the responses of films composed of combinations of Ag(I)-salts and polymers.