Chemically sensitive, dimensionally-stable organosilicon material composition and techniques

• US 5,194,391 A
• Filed: 06/25/1991
• Issued: 03/16/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Nauze, Ganapati R., Spira-Solomon, Darlene J., Holloway, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnston, Jill A.
• Application Number:
  US07/720,983
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 422/56, 422/57, 422/68.1, 422/82.07, 422/82.08, 514/63, 436/68, 436/136, 436/166
• US Class Current: 436/166
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 13/02 Organic and inorganic ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/22 using chemical indicators G01N31/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/207497 Molecular oxygen

Abstract

A dimensionally-stable organosilicon material composition and method for producing the material composition including non-crosslinkable, continuous phase silicone with silica filler material dispersed therethrough, and having dissolved therein a variably-radiative material (e.g., ruthenium dye) responsive to the concentration of a selected analyte (e.g., oxygen), and the products of a reaction between water and a modifier material selected for establishing the sensitivity of said variably-radiative material to the selected analyte.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a material composition having a sensing ability for analytes permeable to the material composition, said sensing ability dependent upon a concentration of the analytes, comprising the steps of:

preparing a solution of a solvent vehicle;

adding a variably radiative material to said solution effective for radiating in relationship to the concentration of the analytes;

adding modifier material for effecting a desired modification in the relationship of said variably radiative material to the concentration of the analytes;

adding silicone to said solution, wherein said silicone is not reactive to and does not crosslink with said modifier material; and

adding silica to said solution to establish dimensional stability for said material composition upon removal from solution.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further step of homogenizing said solution.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising the further step of removing said selected vehicle from said material composition.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the mass ratios of modifier material to silicone and silica to silicone are each on the order of one (1) over ten (10).

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the mass ratio of silicone to variably radiative material is on the order of 8,000 over one (1).

6. A method for preparing a variably-radiative, dimensionally stable organosilicon material composition for sensing oxygen concentrations, comprising the steps of:

(1) dissolving silicone in a solvent vehicle;

(2) dissolving a selected modifier material in said selected vehicle, for effecting a desired relationship between radiativity and oxygen concentration in said material composition;

(3) adding a sufficient amount of silica to said solvent vehicle to establish dimensional stability for said material composition; and

(4) adding a sufficient amount of a selected oxygen-sensitive, variably radiative material to said solvent vehicle to enable oxygen sensing.

7. A method of preparing a variably luminescent, dimensionally stable organosilicon material composition for sensing oxygen concentration, comprising the steps of:

(1) dissolving a predetermined amount of silicone in chloroform with a selected amount of a modifier material to establish a predetermined range of luminescence in said material composition;

(2) adding a sufficient amount of silica particles dimensionally to stabilize the material composition; and

(3) adding a sufficient amount of oxygen-sensitive, variably luminescent material to permit sensing of oxygen concentration.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said variably luminescent material includes a ruthenium dye.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein said silicone includes polydimethylsiloxane.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein said modifier material is a silane.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said silane is a triacetoxysilane.