Design of Supramolecular Active Sites for Fiber Optic Array Sensing Applications

摘要

This program addressed the diverse chemical and physical sensing needs of theUnited States Air Force. All the techniques developed in this program are based on monitoring a bright luminescence from a supramolecule, which is composed of molecular subunits connected in intricate ways to create multiple sites of complementary function. For chemo sensing applications, a photoactive center of the supramolecule literally lights up when the analyte binds at the remote docking site of the analyte. The photophysics behind such transduction signal schemes has been defined and exploited to develop cyclodextrin-based supramolecules that detect polyaromatic hydrocarbons and alcohols. In addition, the fundamental studies of energy flow in large assemblies placed the program in a unique position to sense important physical phenomena of interest to the Air Force. Specifically luminescent supramolecules were designed and synthesized. These tracers formed the underpinning for a new technique called Molecular Tagging Velocimetry (MTV), which permits vorticity measurements to be made on a variety of important flow problems of concern to the Air Force. One important application of the new technique included measurements of the vorticity in the leading edge of a rotating airfoil.