An Ionophore-Based Anion-Selective Optode Printed on Cellulose Paper

  • Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2017 Sep 18;56(39):11826-11830. doi: 10.1002/anie.201706147.
Xuewei Wang  1 ,  Qi Zhang  1 ,  Changwoo Nam  2 ,  Michael Hickner  2 ,  Mollie Mahoney  1 ,  Mark E Meyerhoff  1
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
  • 2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
PMID: 28715617 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201706147
Abstract

A general anion-sensing platform is reported based on a portable and cost-effective ion-selective optode and a smartphone detector equipped with a color analysis app. In contrast to traditional anion-selective optodes using a hydrophobic polymer and/or plasticizer to dissolve hydrophobic sensing elements, the new optode relies on hydrophilic cellulose paper. The anion ionophore and a lipophilic pH indicator are inkjet-printed and adsorbed on paper and form a "dry" hydrophobic sensing layer. Porous cellulose sheets also allow the sensing site to be modified with dried buffer that prevents any sample pH dependence of the observed color change. A highly selective fluoride optode using an AlIII -porphyrin ionophore is examined as an initial example of this new anion sensing platform for measurements of fluoride levels in drinking water samples. Apart from Lewis acid-base recognition, hydrogen bonding recognition is also compatible with this sensing platform.

Keywords
analytical methods; anion-selective optodes; cellulose paper; inkjet printing; sensors.
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