Mesoporous Bragg Stack Color Tunable Sensors

Abstract

Herein we report a novel self-assembly synthesis, structural and optical characterization of mesoporous Bragg stacks (MBS) composed of spin-coated multilayer stacks of mesoporous TiO(2) and mesoporous SiO(2). Investigation of the optical response of MBS to the infiltration of alcohols and alkanes into its pores reveals better sensitivity and selectivity than conventional Bragg reflectors. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the chemical sensing ability can be tuned via layer thickness, composition and surface properties.