A Refractive index sensor made of a glass rod
Making a sensor to measure something is a significant research activity in chemistry. This field is called "analytical chemistry".
The SPR-based sensor allows a rapid, non-destructive, remote, and continuous analysis. SPR is a resonance phenomenon occurring between an electric light field and the free electrons on a metal surface. The resonance condition is influenced by an analyte coming in contact with the metal surface.
The SPR phenomenon using gold, in particular, has attracted attention in recent years because it can find the refractive index at the speed of light without contaminating the analyte to be measured.
Addition of the selective layer for the SPR sensor
We developed a Au-deposited optical fiber sensor or glass rod sensor that was coated with a Teflon AF2400 overlay. These sensors allowed us to measure the ethanol concentrations in sugar mixture solutions.
In this research project, we have developed a methodology that efficiently utilizes the SPR phenomenon. We have also studied about sensors that measure only the concentration of a specific analyte from mixtures of various substances.
