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Sensitive Explosive Vapor Detection with Polyfluorene Lasers
Author(s) -
Yang Ying,
Turnbull Graham A.,
Samuel Ifor D. W.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200901904
Subject(s) - polyfluorene , materials science , explosive material , laser , explosive detection , optoelectronics , analyte , diffusion , excitation , layer (electronics) , optics , nanotechnology , chemistry , physics , electrical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering , electroluminescence , thermodynamics
Distributed feedback organic semiconductor lasers based on polyfluorene are shown to be suitable for use as chemical sensors for the detection of nitroaromatic‐based explosive vapors. The laser threshold is increased by a factor of 1.8 and the slope efficiency is reduced by a factor of 3 after exposure to the vapor. The sensing efficiency depends strongly on the excitation energy with a maximum efficiency of 85%. The temporal dynamics of the laser response to the analyte have been investigated. The laser emission falls to 60% of its initial value in 46 s. A model is developed to offer some insight into the diffusion of the vapor molecules inside the polymer layer.