Optical pH sensor

• US 20060105174A1
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Original Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Inventors: Aller, Robert C., Zhu, Qingzhi
• Application Number:
  US11/257,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20060105174A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/411.100
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/02 2 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/31 Heat sealable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/732 Dimensional properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2551/00 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/00 Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin fibrous or filamentary layer made of a synthetic resin B32B5/02; particulate layer made of a synthetic resin B32B5/16; foamed layer made of a synthetic resin B32B5/18
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/308 comprising acrylic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/05 the layers not being connected over the whole surface, e.g. discontinuous connection or patterned connection using interposed adhesives or bonding materials applied in spaced arrangements B32B7/14
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 220/54 Amides , e.g. N,N-dimethylacrylamide or N-isopropylacrylamide
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 226/02 by a single or double bond to nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4778 Correcting variations in front distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/643 non-biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/221 for investigating pH value
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

A new stable and reversible planar pH fluorosensor is prepared by conjugating a pH sensitive fluorescent material to a water-soluble polymer chain attached to a support. The invention also provides for a thin-film standard pH apparatus.

Claims

1. An optical sensor comprising

(a) a transparent support material, and

(b) a copolymer comprising a water-soluble portion conjugated to pyrenetrisulphonate wherein the copolymer has one end attached to the transparent support material.

2. An optical sensor according to claim 1 wherein the pyrenetrisulphonate is 8-hydroxyl-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulphonate.

3. An optical sensor according to claim 1 wherein the copolymer is prepared by the process comprising copolymerizing an acrylamide and the water-soluble portion conjugated to pyrenetrisulphonate.

4. An optical sensor according to claim 3 copolymerizing at least one selected from the group consisting of acrylamide and N-isopropylacrylamide and the water-soluble portion conjugated to pyrenetrisulphonate.

5. An optical sensor according to claim 4 wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of acrylamide and N-isopropylacrylamide is N-isopropylacrylamide.

6. An optical sensor according to claim 1 wherein the water-soluble portion conjugate a pyrenetrisulphonate is prepared by reacting a pyrenetrisulphonyl chloride and at least one selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated alkyl amine and an aromatic amine.

7. An optical sensor according to claim 6 wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated alkyl amine and an aromatic amine is selected from the group consisting of methallylamine, allylamine, 4-aminostyrene and vinylaniline.

8. An optical sensor according to claim 7 wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated alkyl amine and an aromatic amine is allylamine.

9. A method of preparing an optical sensor comprising:

(a) conjugating a pyrenetrisulphonyl chloride and a water soluble material to form a conjugate, and

(b) copolymerizing the conjugate and an acrylamide wherein a copolymer is formed, and wherein one end of the copolymer is attached to support.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the support comprises a polymer membrane.

11. A method according to claim 10 comprising preparing the polymer membrane by a process comprising mixing at least one selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated alkyl alcohol and an unsaturated alkyl amine, polyvinyl alcohol, HCl and gluteraldehyde to form a mixture and spreading the mixture on a transparent support.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated alkyl alcohol and an unsaturated alkyl amine is selected from the group consisting of allylalcohol, 3-butene-1-OH, methallylalcohol and allylamine.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated alkyl alcohol and an unsaturated alkyl amine is allylalcohol.

14. A method according to claim 9 comprising conjugating 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulphonyl chloride and a water-soluble material selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated alkyl amine and an aromatic amine.

15. A method according to claim 9 wherein the water-soluble material is at least one selected from the group consisting of methallylamine, allylamine, 4-aminostyrene and vinylaniline.

16. A method according to claim 9 wherein the water-soluble material is allylamine.

17. A method according to claim 9 comprising copolymerizing the conjugate and at least one selected from the group consisting of acrylamide and N-isopropylacrylamide.

18. A method according to claim 9 wherein the acrylamide is N-isopropylacrylamide.

19. A method of determining the pH of a sample comprising:

(a) providing an optical sensor foil comprising (i) a transparent support material, and (ii) a copolymer comprising a water soluble portion conjugated to a pyrenetrisulphonate wherein the copolymer has one end attached to the transparent support material, and

(b) contacting the sample with the optical sensor foil,

(c) obtaining the fluorescence intensity of the sensor foil in the sample, and

(d) determining the pH of the sample from a fluorescence intensity ratio.

20. A method of determining the pH of a sample according to claim 19 wherein the pyrenetrisulphonate is 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulphonate.

21. A method of determining the pH of a sample according to claim 19 wherein the copolymer is prepared by a process comprising conjugating pyrenetrisulphonyl chloride and at least one selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated alkyl amine and an aromatic amine.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the water-soluble portion conjugated to a pyrenetrisulphonate is pyrenetrisulphonyl chloride conjugated to at least one selected from the group consisting of methyallylamine, allylamine, 4-aminostyrene and vinylaniline.

23. A method according to claim 19 wherein the water-soluble portion conjugated to a pyrenetrisulphonate is pyrenetrisulphonyl chloride conjugated to allylamine.

24. A method according to claim 19 comprising determining the pH of at least one sample selected from the group consisting of seawater, sediment, and soil.

26. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

(e) providing a thin-film pH standard apparatus comprising a transparent support material, a film of a pH standard solution and a second optical sensor foil having the composition of the sensor foil of (a) wherein the sensor surface of the foil faces the standard solution,

(f) contacting the thin-film pH standard apparatus with the sample,

(g) obtaining the fluorescence intensity of the second optical sensor foil in the pH standard apparatus,

(h) correlating the fluorescence intensity ratio of the second optical foil in pH standard apparatus with pH, and

(i) comparing the fluorescence intensity ratio of the pH sensor foil with the fluorescence intensity ratio of the second optical foil to determine pH of the sample.

25. A thin-film pH standard apparatus comprising

(a) a transparent support material,

(b) a film of a pH standard solution above the support material;

and

(c) an optical sensor material having a sensor surface facing the standard solution