Optical fiber oxygen sensor based on Pd(II) complex embedded in sol–gel matrix

Abstract

A simple, low-cost technique for fabrication of high performance optical fiber oxygen sensor is described. An organically modified silicate (ORMOSIL) as a matrix for the fabrication of oxygen sensing film was produced. The technique is based on coating the end of an optical fiber with ormosil composite xerogel film sequestered with luminophore palladium (II) meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (PdTFPP) prepared by a sol–gel process. The composite xerogel studied is n-propyltrimethoxysilane (n-propyl-TriMOS)/tetraethylorthosilane (TEOS)/n-Octyltriethoxysilane (Octyl-triEOS). Result shows that, expect for PdTFPP-doped n-propyl-TriMOS/TEOS/Octyl-triEOS composite xerogel shows a high sensitivity and linear Stern–Volmer relationship which indicates the homogenous environment of the luminophore. The sensitivity of the optical oxygen sensor is quantified in terms of the ratio IN2/IO2, where IN2 and IO2 represent the detected phosphorescence intensities in pure nitrogen and pure oxygen environments, respectively. The experimental result reveals that the PdTFPP-doped n-propyl-TriMOS/TEOS/Octyl-triEOS oxygen sensor has sensitivity of IN2/I100O2=263.