AgBF4-impregnated poly(vinyl phenyl ketone): an ethylene sensing film.

Incorporation of silver tetrafluoroborate (AgBF4) into poly(vinyl phenyl ketone) (PVPK) renders the photoluminescent polymer responsive to ethylene. Polymer films prepared with a 2:1 ratio of Ag+ ions to polymer acetophenone groups responded with a quench of photoluminescence. Conditioned films showed a luminescence quench that was proportional to ethylene concentration before saturation occurred. Stern-Volmer analysis of the photoluminescence response suggested the presence of sites that were accessible and sites that were inaccessible to ethylene. Perturbations in polymer-metal interactions were monitored with infrared spectroscopy, revealing changes upon Ag+ incorporation, polymer film conditioning, and exposure to ethylene.