Optical sensor and sensing system for oxygen monitoring in fluids using molybdenum cluster phosphorescence
AssigneeOptiO2, LLC
InventorsRuby N. Ghosh, Reza Loloee, Per A. Askeland, Christopher T. Weeks
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Abstract
A composite comprises a polymer matrix and a luminophore dispersed therein. The composite is useful as a sensing film that is used as an optical sensor for oxygen measurement comprising the composite sensing film; a source of photons for photo-exciting the luminophores and a waveguide, transparent in the frequency range of the excitation photons, for guiding the excitation photons from the source to the composite sensing film; a detector for measuring properties of photons emitted from the luminophores. A system including a computer may be useful for coordinating the activities of the sensor.
Claims42
A composite comprising:
- at least one polymer and an amount of at least one luminophore,
- the composite formed by dispersing the luminophore as isolated clusters within a solution comprising a solvent wherein the luminophore within the solution has an unquenched emission lifetime τ0 (solution) that is linear, blending an amount of photocurable silicone monomers into the solution, and rapidly photocuring with ultraviolet light the ultraviolet curable silicone monomers with the amount of at least one luminophore dispersed therein as isolated clusters to form a polymer matrix wherein the polymer is crosslinked and the luminophore is dispersed as isolated clusters within the polymer matrix,
- wherein the luminophore comprises a hexanuclear molybdenum compound selected from the group consisting of those of formula (1) and those of formula (2):
- M2MonW6-nX14 (1)
- MonW6-nX12 (2)
- wherein M is a cation selected from the group consisting of Na+, K+ and NH4+, wherein n is 0 to 6, and wherein each X is independently a monoanionic ligand,
- wherein the composite has the following property indicating that the luminophore is dispersed as isolated clusters within the polymer matrix:
- an ending quenching ratio of about 95% or more of a starting quenching ratio in a measurement cycle wherein in the measurement cycle the composite is photoexcited 10,000 times, each photoexcitation for a duration and with energy at least sufficient to excite the luminophore from the ground state to the excited state, wherein the starting quenching ratio is measured at the start of the measurement cycle and the ending quenching ratio is measured at the end of the measurement cycle.
A composition comprising a photocured silicone polymer and molybdenum clusters, wherein the molybdenum clusters comprise hexanuclear molybdenum compounds selected from the group consisting of those of formula (1) and those of formula (2):
- M2MonW6-nX14 (1)
- MonW6-nX12 (2)
- wherein M is a cation selected from the group consisting of Na+, K+ and NH4+, wherein n is 0 to 6, and wherein each X is independently a monoanionic ligand,
- wherein the composition is a film formed by dissolving the molybdenum clusters in a solvent to form a solution wherein the molybdenum clusters are dispersed within the solution as isolated clusters and the solution has an unquenched emission lifetime τ0 (solution) that is linear, blending the solution with ultraviolet curable silicone monomers to form a mixture, and, and photocuring the mixture with ultraviolet light to rapidly crosslink the ultraviolet curable silicone monomers to form the photocured silicone polymer having the molybdenum clusters dispersed therein as isolated clusters.
A composite comprising:
- at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of an ultraviolet cured silicone polymer forming a polymer matrix;
- and an amount of at least one luminophore dispersed within the polymer matrix, the composite formed by dispersing the luminophore as isolated clusters within a solution comprising a solvent wherein the luminophore within the solution has an unquenched emission lifetime τ0 (solution) that is linear, blending an amount of photocurable silicone monomers into the solution, and rapidly photocuring the monomers with the amount of at least one luminophore to form a polymer matrix wherein the polymer is crosslinked and the luminophore is dispersed as isolated clusters within the polymer matrix,
- wherein the luminophore comprises a hexanuclear molybdenum compound selected from the group consisting of those of formula (1) and those of formula (2):
- M2MonW6-nX14 (3)
- MonW6-nX12 (4)
- wherein M is a cation selected from the group consisting of Na+, K+ and NH4+, wherein n is 0 to 6, and wherein each X is independently a monoanionic ligand,
- wherein the composite has the following properties, wherein the following properties indicate that the luminophore is dispersed as isolated clusters within the polymer matrix:
- τ0 (solution)/τ0 (composite) is less than or equal to 3.5, where τ0(composite) is the unquenched emission lifetime of the composite in a fluid;
- and
- a quenching ratio of the luminophore within the composite is greater than or equal to 2.5.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.