OXYGEN SENSORS BASED ON LUMINESCENCE QUENCHING - INTERACTIONS OF RIS(4,7-DIPHENYL-1,10-PHENANTHROLINE)RUTHENIUM(II) CHLORIDE AND PYRENE WITH POLYMER SUPPORTS

Oxygen quenching of [Ru(Ph(2)phen)(3)]Cl-2 (Ph(2)phen = 4,7-diphenyl-1 ,10-phenanthroline) and pyrene has been studied in a series of polymer networks of Gp-163 (a methacryloxy functional polydimethylsiloxane) c o-polymerized with one of several co-monomers: styrene, trimethylsilyl -methylmethacrylate (T3642), vinyl-tris(2-methoxy-ethoxy)silane, or vi nyl-tris(trimethylsiloxy)silane. Sensor performance was studied as a f unction of the polymer composition in order to delineate tile importan t features for satisfactory O-2 sensor supports. Quenching behavior wa s examined as a function of polymer structure, including amount and ty pe of co-monomer. This work shows that the earlier two-domain model is too simplistic The relative affinities of the different domains for t he [Ru(Ph(2)phen)(3)]Cl-2 and pyrene and the efficacy of the domains f or O-2 quenching are important; however, subtle changes in microstruct ure within domains can also strongly affect behavior. In particular, T 3642 exhibits excellent structural and goad quenching properties with[ Ru(Ph(2)phen)(3)]Cl-2.