A sensor array for the discrimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using conjugated polymers and the inner filter effect


Journal article


Joshua Tropp, Michael H Ihde, Abagail K Williams, Nicholas J White, Naresh Eedugurala, Noel C Bell, Jason D Azoulay, Marco Bonizzoni
Chemical science, vol. 10(44), 2019, pp. 10247-10255

DOI: 10.1039/C9SC03405F

Cite

Cite

APA   Click to copy
Tropp, J., Ihde, M. H., Williams, A. K., White, N. J., Eedugurala, N., Bell, N. C., … Bonizzoni, M. (2019). A sensor array for the discrimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using conjugated polymers and the inner filter effect. Chemical Science, 10(44), 10247–10255. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SC03405F


Chicago/Turabian   Click to copy
Tropp, Joshua, Michael H Ihde, Abagail K Williams, Nicholas J White, Naresh Eedugurala, Noel C Bell, Jason D Azoulay, and Marco Bonizzoni. “A Sensor Array for the Discrimination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Using Conjugated Polymers and the Inner Filter Effect.” Chemical science 10, no. 44 (2019): 10247–10255.


MLA   Click to copy
Tropp, Joshua, et al. “A Sensor Array for the Discrimination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Using Conjugated Polymers and the Inner Filter Effect.” Chemical Science, vol. 10, no. 44, 2019, pp. 10247–55, doi:10.1039/C9SC03405F .


BibTeX   Click to copy

@article{joshua2019a,
  title = {A sensor array for the discrimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using conjugated polymers and the inner filter effect},
  year = {2019},
  issue = {44},
  journal = {Chemical science},
  pages = {10247-10255},
  volume = {10},
  doi = {10.1039/C9SC03405F },
  author = {Tropp, Joshua and Ihde, Michael H and Williams, Abagail K and White, Nicholas J and Eedugurala, Naresh and Bell, Noel C and Azoulay, Jason D and Bonizzoni, Marco}
}

Natural and anthropogenic activities result in the production of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), persistent pollutants that negatively impact the environment and human health. Rapid and reliable methods for the detection and discrimination of these compounds remains a technological challenge owing to their relatively featureless properties, structural similarities, and existence as complex mixtures. Here, we demonstrate that the inner filter effect (IFE), in combination with conjugated polymer (CP) array-based sensing, offers a straightforward approach for the quantitative and qualitative profiling of PAHs. The sensor array was constructed from six fluorescent fluorene-based copolymers, which incorporate side chains with peripheral 2-phenylbenzimidazole substituents that provide spectral overlap with PAHs and give rise to a pronounced IFE. Subtle structural differences in copolymer structure result in distinct spectral signatures, which provide a unique “chemical fingerprint” for each PAH. The discriminatory power of the array was evaluated using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and principal component analysis (PCA) in order to discriminate between 16 PAH compounds identified as priority pollutants by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This array is the first multivariate system reliant on the modulation of the spectral signatures of CPs through the IFE for the detection and discrimination of closely related polynuclear aromatic species.