Material and method for oxygen sensing
First Claim
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1. A method of determining the presence of oxygen in a sample, said method comprising:
- (A) exposing a sensor to said sample, said sensor comprising;
(i) a luminescent material which luminesces when excited by visible or ultraviolet light and whose lifetime or intensity of luminescence is quenchable by oxygen, and(ii) a membrane which is permeable to oxygen and in which said luminescent material is embedded,(B) allowing oxygen from said sample to permeate said membrane and contact said luminescent material,(C) measuring any quench-related decrease in luminescence caused by oxygen, and(D) using a measurement thereby obtained to determine the oxygen content of said sample;
said membrane consisting essentially of an organic modified silicic acid heteropolycondensate having silane units with the formula RSi.tbd., such that the free valences of said formula are interconnected by oxygen and wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group.
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Abstract
Silicic acid heteropolycondensates containing a luminescent compound, whose luminescence is quenchable by oxygen, form suitable sensors for measuring oxygen content in an oxygen-containing gaseous, liquid, or solid sample.
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11 Claims
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1. A method of determining the presence of oxygen in a sample, said method comprising:
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(A) exposing a sensor to said sample, said sensor comprising; (i) a luminescent material which luminesces when excited by visible or ultraviolet light and whose lifetime or intensity of luminescence is quenchable by oxygen, and (ii) a membrane which is permeable to oxygen and in which said luminescent material is embedded, (B) allowing oxygen from said sample to permeate said membrane and contact said luminescent material, (C) measuring any quench-related decrease in luminescence caused by oxygen, and (D) using a measurement thereby obtained to determine the oxygen content of said sample; said membrane consisting essentially of an organic modified silicic acid heteropolycondensate having silane units with the formula RSi.tbd., such that the free valences of said formula are interconnected by oxygen and wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A sensor comprising a luminescent material which luminesces when excited by visible or ultraviolet light and whose lifetime or intensity of illumination is quenchable by oxygen, said luminescent material being incorporated within a membrane consisting essentially of a silicic acid heteropolycondensate having silane units with the formula RSi.tbd. wherein the unsatisfied valences of said units are interconnected by oxygen and wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group.
Specification