Method and compositions for manufacture of chemical sensors

A method of making an analyte sensor including an optical fiber having a surface portion covered with a polymeric analyte sensing matrix including a dye indicator material, comprising the steps of:

• preparing an analyte permeable polymer with an analyte sensitive indicator dye covalently bonded to the analyte permeable polymer to form a liquid polymeric analyte sensing matrix;
• forming a liquid mixture of said liquid polymeric analyte sensing matrix with a crosslinking agent and a crosslinking inhibitor which can be removed by exposure to heat;
• coating said optical fiber surface portion with said liquid mixture;
• and
• heating said liquid mixture on said optical fiber surface portion for a sufficient period of time to remove said crosslinking inhibitor from said liquid mixture, whereby said crosslinking agent crosslinks said liquid polymeric analyte sensing matrix in situ on said optical fiber surface portion thereby producing a cured sensing matrix.