Dual-analyte spectroscopic sensing in sol-gel derived polyelectrolyte-silica composite thin films

Ferrozine (3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine-p,p′-disulfonic acid, monosodium salt hydrate), an iron indicator, and HTPS (8-hydroxyl-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid, trisodium salt), a pH indicator, were immobilized in sol–gel derived PDMDAAC-SiO₂ (where PDMDAAC stands for poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride), composite thin films via ion-exchange. The two indicators were immobilized in two adjacent sections of the same PDMDAAC-SiO₂ film which was supported on a glass optical substrate. The spectroscopic response of the film to both Fe²⁺ and H⁺ in solutions was investigated by attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectrometry at two well-separated wavelengths, 562 nm for Fe²⁺ and 460 nm for H⁺. The Ferrozine/HPTS immobilized PDMDAAC-SiO₂ films had the following characteristics: linear range, 2.5×10⁻⁶–5.0×10⁻⁵ M for Fe²⁺, pH 4.1–6.8 for H⁺; sensitivity, 2.2×10⁴ ΔA/M for Fe²⁺, 0.583 ΔA/pH for H⁺.