DESIGN OF CHEMORESISTIVE SENSORY MATERIALS - POLYTHIOPHENE-BASED PSEUDOPOLYROTAXANES

Herein we report conducting polymer-based sensors which transduce reve rsible, noncovalent, and nonredox-dependent molecular recognition even ts into measurable changes in conductivity. These chemoresistive polym ers are derived from bithiophenes containing cyclophane receptors capa ble of forming self-assembled pseudorotaxane complexes with paraquat. The electrostatic perturbations arising from pseudopolyrotaxane format ion cause a decrease in carrier mobility and thus lower the conductivi ty. The chemoresistive response was found to be consistent with decrea sed carrier mobility and exhibited an enhanced sensitivity to analyte- promoted electrostatic perturbations relative to the voltammetric resp onse. Polymer-based devices which demonstrate a real time chemoresisti ve response to paraquat are also reported.