Enhanced optical oxygen sensing using a newly synthesized ruthenium complex together with oxygen carriers.

In this article, an emission based, simple and fast method is proposed for the determination of gaseous oxygen. A newly synthesized fluorophore, dichloro-{2,6-bis[1-(4-dimethylamino-phenylimino) ethyl]pyridine}ruthenium(II) has been used for oxygen sensing together with oxygen carrier perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in silicon matrix. It should be noted that the solubility of oxygen in fluorocarbons is about three to ten times large as that observed in the parent hydrocarbons or in water, respectively. Employed PFCs are chemically and biochemically inert, have high dissolution capacities for oxygen, and, once doped into sensing film, considerably enhance the response of sensing agent.