Bio-inspired fabrication of lotus leaf like membranes as fluorescent sensing materials.

A fluorescent organic small molecule, hexaphenylsilole (HPS), has been used as a sensing material, while a HPS/polymethyl methacrylate composite film with a lotus leaf like structure is prepared by a simple electrospin method. The film shows high stability and excellent sensitivity for the metal ions Fe(3+) and Hg(2+), respectively. The special surface morphology containing micro-/nanocomposite structure is attributed to the exhibition of these unusual properties.