Sensors for measuring analytes

• US 20060171845A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dakota Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dakota Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Engebretson, Daniel S., Martin, Travis L.
• Application Number:
  US11/342,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20060171845A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/82.70
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/32 Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions extinguishing or preventing fires in aircraft A62C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6432 Quenching
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6434 Optrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6484 Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/643 non-biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7703 using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides using measurement of total internal reflection or attenuated total reflection G01N21/552; optical fibres or waveguides per se G02B

Abstract

A sensor and system using the sensor for detecting an analyte, where the sensor includes an amorphous fluorinated polymer and a luminescent metal-ligand complex is provided. Sensor systems for monitoring oxygen in environments containing volatile organic solvents are also provided.

Claims

1. A sensor for detecting an analyte, comprising:

an amorphous fluoropolymer; and

a metal-ligand complex, wherein said ligand comprises a macrocycle.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the metal comprises a transition metal.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the transition metal is selected from ruthenium, rhenium, rhodium, iridium, palladium, and platinum.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the metal is platinum.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the amorphous fluoropolymer comprises a copolymer formed of tetrafluoroethylene and 2,2-bis-trifluoro-methyl-4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxol.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the amorphous fluoropolymer comprises a terpolymer formed of tetrafluoroethylene, 2,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxole and chlorotrifluoroethylene.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the average pore size of the amorphous fluoropolymer is configured to selectively reduce non-analyte diffusion into the sensor.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the macrocycle comprises a fluorinated macrocycle.

9. The sensor of claim 8, wherein the fluorinated macrocycle is a fluorinated porphyrin.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the metal-ligand complex is platinum (II) meso-tetra (pentafluorophenylphorphine).

11. A system for measuring an analyte, comprising:

(a) a sensor comprising an amorphous fluoropolymer; and

a metal-ligand complex, wherein said ligand comprises a macrocycle

(b) an excitation light source; and

(c) a detector.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the excitation light source comprises a laser or a light emitting diode.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the excitation light source comprises a light emitting diode.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the excitation light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the laser comprises a microchip laser.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the detector comprises a photomultiplier tube, photodiode, or an avalanche photodiode.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor is on an optically transparent substrate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the substrate comprises a fiber optic substrate.

19. A system for monitoring an analyte in an environment containing a volatile organic solvent, comprising an analyte sensor, the sensor comprising (i) an amorphous fluoropolymer, and (ii) a metal-ligand complex.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the ligand comprises a fluorinated ligand.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the ligand comprises a macrocycle.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the macrocycle comprises a porphyrin.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the porphyrin comprises a fluorinated porphyrin.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the metal-ligand complex comprises platinum (II) meso-tetra (pentafluorophenylphorphine).

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising an excitation light source operably coupled to the sensor.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the excitation light source comprises a laser or a light emitting diode.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the excitation light source comprises a light emitting diode.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the excitation light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the laser comprises a microchip laser.

30. The system of claim 19 further comprising a detector operably coupled to the sensor.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the detector comprises a photomultiplier tube, photodiode, or an avalanche photodiode.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the sensor is on an optically transparent substrate.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the substrate comprises a fiber optic substrate.

34. The system of claim 19 in which the sensor is positioned in a fuel tank.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the fuel tank is in an aircraft.

36. The system of claim 19, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least a first sensor in contact with fuel and at least a second sensor in ullage space in the fuel tank.

38. A method of producing a sensor for detecting an analyte, comprising:

swelling an amorphous fluoropolymer in a solvent in which a metal-ligand complex is dissolved; and

allowing the metal-ligand complex to penetrate the swelled amorphous fluoropolymer.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the solvent is removed to leave the metal-ligand complex entrapped within the amorphous fluoropolymer.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the solvent is removed by evaporation.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the solvent is polyfluorinated and perfluorinated solvents.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the fluorinated solvent comprises octafluorotoluene.

43. The method of claim 38 further comprising processing the sensor to reduce the average pore size of the fluoropolymer.

44. A method of detecting an analyte, comprising:

contacting a sensor comprising an amorphous fluoropolymer; and

a metal-ligand complex, wherein said ligand comprises a macrocycle, and

measuring the luminescence of the metal-ligand complex.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the measured luminescence is the luminescence intensity or lifetime changes.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the luminescence lifetime changes is luminescence decay.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein luminescence is measured by photon-counting following pulsed excitation from a light source.

48. The method in claim 47, wherein the photon-counting is time-resolved.

49. An system for sensing oxygen, comprising:

an oxygen sensor having an amorphous fluoropolymer and a metal-ligand complex having a macrocycle ligand;

a single fiber-fiber optic probe coupled to said oxygen sensor at a first end of said fiber optic probe; and

a collimation module coupled to a second end of said single fiber-fiber optic probe, wherein said single fiber-fiber optic probe delivers excitation light and returns emission light to said collimation module.

50. The system of claim 49, further comprising at least one of a temperature and pressure sensor, wherein data from said temperature and/or pressure sensor is used to adjust oxygen sensing data due to measurement variations resulting from the temperature and/or pressure of said sensor.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein said macrocycle ligand comprises a platinum chelate (platinum (II) meso-tetra (pentafluorophenylphorphine) ligand.

52. A system for sensing an amount of air comprising:

(a) an oxygen sensor comprising an amorphous fluoropolymer; and

a metal-ligand complex, wherein said ligand comprises a macrocycle

(b) an excitation light source;

(c) a detector; and

(d) a processor, wherein said processor calculates the amount of air present based on the detected oxygen.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least a first sensor in contact with a fluid having dissolved air and at least a second sensor in contact with free air.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the fluid comprises hydraulic fluid.

56. The system of claim 52, wherein the oxygen sensor is in contact with a fluid.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the fluid comprises hydraulic fluid.

58. The system of claim 52, wherein the oxygen sensor is in contact with free air.