Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor for Dissolved and Gaseous Carbon Dioxide

Abstract

We describe a novel kind of sensor for carbon dioxide. It is based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and a polymer blend that is capable of fully reversibly binding carbon dioxide. The interaction results in a change in the polarity and refractive index that can be detected via SPR. The sensor responds with high specificity. The method is simple and, unlike previous ones, enables continuous sensing over extended periods of time. It can be applied to sense both dissolved and gaseous carbon dioxide. The limits if detection of gaseous CO(2) is as low as 10 ppm.