Electrochromic dyes, enzyme reactions and hormone-protein interactions in fluorescence optic sensor (optode) technology

The analytical potential of fluorescence-based optochemical sensors (optodes) has been expanded by use of (1) electrochromic dyes incorporated in thin polymeric multilayers by means of Langmuir-Blodgett film techniques, (2) enzyme-catalysed biochemical reactions and (3) antibody-linked immunological reactions. Fluorescence optical biosensors have been developed for the determination of electrical potentials (e.g., those produced by ion-selective membranes) and of hormones (e.g., thyroxine) and metabolites (e.g., lactate, glucose, xanthine and ethanol).