Optical Supramolecules for Chemical and Physical Sensing

摘要

This proposal seeks to bring to the AFOSR a strategy to use bio- inspired concepts of recognition and signal transduction to unite the areas of optical chemosensing and nanoscience to address diverse chemical and physical sensing needs of the United States Air Force. Luminescent molecule, supramolecule or materials have been synthesized for targeted sensing application. An intrinsic component of the program has been to define fundamental parameters that control the nonradiative and radiative energy flows so that the luminescence intensity and lifetime of the optical probe may be used for signal transduction. The following major achievements have been made by the research program (1) the development of the first microfluidic chemosensor for the detection and monitoring of chemical species of relevance to the Air Force on especially small length scales; (2) the development of new optical probes for accurate tempera ture& and pressure measurements at aerodynamic surfaces; and (3)the development of new materials for an optical diagnostic technique that we invented to detect and measure turbulence. Achievements have been transitioned to several research efforts in Air Force laboratories.