A novel triazine‒bearing calix[4]arene: Design, synthesis and gas sensing affinity for volatile organic compounds

Sensing Volatile Pollutants with Spin-Coated Films Made of Pillar[5]arene Derivatives and Data Validation via Artificial Neural Networks

Different types of solvents, aromatic and aliphatic, are used in many industrial sectors, and long-term exposure to these solvents can lead to many occupational diseases. Therefore, it is of great importance to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using economic and ergonomic techniques. In this study, two macromolecules based on pillar[5]arene, named P[5]-1 and P[5]-2, were synthesized and applied to the detection of six different environmentally volatile pollutants in industry and laboratories. The thin films of the synthesized macrocycles were coated by using the spin coating technique on a suitable substrate under optimum conditions. All compounds and the prepared thin film surfaces were characterized by NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), elemental analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and contact angle measurements. All vapor sensing measurements were performed via the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical technique, and the responses of the P[5]-1 and P[5]-2 thin-film sensors were calculated with ΔI/Io × 100. The responses of the P[5]-1 and P[5]-2 thin-film sensors to dichloromethane vapor were determined to be 7.17 and 4.11, respectively, while the responses to chloroform vapor were calculated to be 5.24 and 2.8, respectively. As a result, these thin-film sensors showed a higher response to dichloromethane and chloroform vapors than to other harmful vapors. The SPR kinetic data for vapors validated that a nonlinear autoregressive neural network was performed with exogenous input for the best molecular modeling by using normalized reflected light intensity values. It can be clearly seen from the correlation coefficient values that the nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input artificial neural network (NARX-ANN) model for dichloromethane converged more successfully to the experimental data compared to other gases. The correlation coefficient values of the dichloromethane modeling results were approximately 0.99 and 0.98 for P[5]-1 and P[5]-2 thin-film sensors, respectively.

Coating-Based Quartz Crystal Microbalance Detection Methods of Environmentally Relevant Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that evaporate under standard atmospheric conditions are of growing concern. This is because it is well established that VOCs represent major contamination risks since release of these compounds into the atmosphere can contribute to global warming, and thus, can also be detrimental to the overall health of worldwide populations including plants, animals, and humans. Consequently, the detection, discrimination, and quantification of VOCs have become highly relevant areas of research over the past few decades. One method that has been and continues to be creatively developed for analyses of VOCs is the Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM). In this review, we summarize and analyze applications of QCM devices for the development of sensor arrays aimed at the detection of environmentally relevant VOCs. Herein, we also summarize applications of a variety of coatings, e.g., polymers, macrocycles, and ionic liquids that have been used and reported in the literature for surface modification in order to enhance sensing and selective detection of VOCs using quartz crystal resonators (QCRs) and thus QCM. In this review, we also summarize novel electronic systems that have been developed for improved QCM measurements.

Optoelectronic and charge transport properties of D-n-A type 1,3,5-triazine derivatives: A combined experimental and DFT study

The synthesis of five D-n-A type star-shaped octupolar molecules is presented in the current work. The exploration of the potential applicability of molecules under study in organic optoelectronics as electron or hole transporting materials is carried out by DFT methods. All the molecules have a 1,3,5-triazine core, which acts as an electron acceptor (A). Phenyl ring and pyridine ring act as electron donors (D) in AZ and PZ series of molecules respectively. The donor and acceptor core are connected by -NH bridge (n). The crystal structure of a molecule in the PZ series is elucidated. Thermogravimetric studies are carried out to confirm the thermal stability of molecules. The frontier molecular orbitals of molecules are characterized with the help of cyclic voltammetry. With the assistance of DFT methodologies, the whole research presented in this work focuses on the electronic excitations, reorganization energies, electron affinity, ionization potential and features of frontier molecular orbitals of molecules. The investigation of the variation of optoelectronic properties of molecules with changing patterns of nucleophilic substitution on 1,3,5-triazine core and presence of a hetero (nitrogen) atom in the donor part of the molecule is also accomplished.

Review of Gravimetric Sensing of Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are pervasive in the environment. Since the early 1980s, substantial work has examined the detection of these materials, as they can indicate environmental changes that can affect human health. VOCs and similar compounds present a very specific sensing problem in that they are not reactive and often nonpolar, so it is difficult to find materials that selectively bind or adsorb them. A number of techniques are applied to vapor sensing. High resolution molecular separation approaches such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry are well-characterized and offer high sensitivity, but are difficult to implement in portable, real-time monitors, whereas approaches such as chemiresistors are promising, but still in development. Gravimetric approaches, in which the mass of an adsorbed vapor is directly measured, have several potential advantages over other techniques but have so far lagged behind other approaches in performance and market penetration. This review aims to offer a comprehensive background on gravimetric sensing including underlying resonators and sensitizers, as well as a picture of applications and commercialization in the field.

Developing of N-(4-methylpyrimidine-2-yl)methacrylamide Langmuir-Blodgett thin film chemical sensor via quartz crystal microbalance technique

In the present work, the characterization and gas sensing properties of newly synthesized N-(4-methylpyrimidine-2-yl)methacrylamide (N-MPMA) monomer Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) thin films were investigated. The UV-visible spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and atomic force microscopy were utilized to characterize N-MPMA LB thin films. The surface behavior of N-MPMA monolayer was stable and allowed an effective transfer at a surface pressure of 14 mN/m. The mass change/unit area value of the N-MPMA LB thin film deposited quartz crystal surfaces was investigated. The amount of N-MPMA LB thin film deposited on the substrate for bilayer was calculated as 228.72 ng (86.31 ng/mm² ) and 12.5 Hz frequency shift was observed for each layer of the N-MPMA film. The kinetic responses of N-MPMA LB film against chloroform, dichloromethane, benzene, and toluene were measured via QCM system at room temperature. N-MPMA QCM sensor results displayed that chloroform has the largest frequency shifts compared with the other vapors used in the present work and these results can be illuminating in terms of physical properties of organic vapors.

One novel calix[4]arene based QCM sensor for sensitive, selective and high performance-sensing of formaldehyde at room temperature

This work designs the synthesis of a novel amino morpholine schiff base functionalized calix[4]arene cage (SCC), its deposition onto Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) crystal surface, and usage for the selective detecting of formaldehyde (HCHO). The SCC modified QCM sensor has been characterized by contact angle measurements and microscopy images. Initial experiments revealed that the frequency response decreased significantly which means that there was a good interaction between the SCC molecules and HCHO. The proposed sensor exhibited a linear response towards HCHO in different concentrations ranging from 1.85 to 9.25 ppm, having the high sensitivity (S) and low limit of detection (LOD) being 18.324 Hz/ppm and 0.67 ppm, respectively. Furthermore, the adsorption behavior and mechanism of HCHO onto the QCM sensor were investigated for this sensing system and the adsorption data exhibited a good correlation with the Freundlich and Langmuir-Freundlich adsorption models in terms of the regression coefficient. The QCM sensor showed outstanding selective performance to HCHO among %97 RH and some a number of interfering volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as chloroform, dichloromethane, acetone, n-hexane, methanol, xylene, and ammonia. Thus, real-time, sensitive, selective and effective recognition of HCHO by the sensor can be explained some adsorption mechanisms such as size-fit concept, three-dimensional structures of molecules and interaction between moieties of the sensible film layer and analyte molecules such as hydrogen bonding interactions.