Development of a new sensor material based on crystalline colloidal arrays embedded into polymer network

Abstract

This study reports the development of a novel sensing material that reports on analyte concentrations via diffraction of visible light from polymerized crystalline colloidal arrays (PCCA). The PCCA contains periodic crystalline colloidal array (CCA) of spherical polystyrene colloids. This new method permanently locks the order of the CCA by embedding the CCA into a polymer network. These materials are mostly used in the development of novel materials which are basically called sensors for metal ions and all kinds of organic molecules. The polymer around the crystalline colloid can be functionalized with some recognition molecule, making these materials useful as optical sensors. We developed a sensor, utilizing crown ether, 2-aminomethyl-18-crown-6 (2A18C6) as the recognition agent, that detects K(+) in the concentration range from 5 to 160 ppm.