Open AccessSelective vapor sensors with thin-film MoS2-coated optical fibers
Author(s) -
Michael J. Motala,
Lucas K. Beagle,
Jason Lynch,
David C. Moore,
Peter R. Stevenson,
Anna Benton,
Ly Dieu Tran,
Luke A. Baldwin,
Drake Austin,
Christopher Muratore,
Deep Jariwala,
Nicholas R. Glavin
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of vacuum science and technology. a. vacuum, surfaces, and films
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1520-8559
pISSN - 0734-2101
DOI - 10.1116/6.0001759
Subject(s) - analyte , aniline , refractive index , selectivity , materials science , optical fiber , thin film , nanomaterials , analytical chemistry (journal) , fiber optic sensor , molecule , optoelectronics , chemistry , fiber , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , chromatography , optics , physics , composite material , catalysis
Effective chemical sensor devices must facilitate both the detection of analytes at ultralow concentrations and the ability to distinguish one analyte from another. Sensors built using two-dimensional nanomaterials have demonstrated record-level sensitivity toward certain chemical vapor species, but the specificity of chemical analyte detection remains lacking. To address this deficiency, this work pioneers the use of a broadband fiber-optic sensor coated with thin-film MoS 2 where selectivity is achieved through observing changes in the visible spectrum transmission during exposure to different aliphatic and aromatic vapors. A significant loss in transmission across the fiber was observed near peaks in the refractive index associated with the C, B, and A excitons as well as at peaks associated with defect states. Several mechanisms for achieving selectivity are investigated, including deciphering donor/acceptor molecules, aromatic compounds, analytes with high refractive index, and intercalants such as aniline-based compounds. Moreover, the sensor device is entirely reusable and demonstrates reversible, empirical, and selective detection of aniline down to 6 ppm.