Polydiacetylene-based colorimetric sensor microarray for volatile organic compounds

The development of a novel polydiacetylene (PDA)-based sensitive colorimetric microarray sensor for the detection and identification of volatile organic compounds was reported. The organic solvent-dependent colorimetric responses of PDA-embedded polymer matrix had been investigated in detail, which allowed for a straight forward "color pattern" procedure to differentiate among common organic solvents. Further, multi-layer PDA-based micro patterns had been fabricated by a sol-gel process combined with the soft lithography method. The structures of multi-layer PDA-based micro patterns were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The organic solvent-dependent fluorescence changes of PDA-based micro patterns had been investigated in detail. Excellent differentiation of organic compounds can be achieved based on cross-responsive array sensor and these systems aim to mimic the mammalian olfactory system by producing composite responses unique to each odorant.