Copper ion sensing with fluorescent electrospun nanofibers

In this work, the use of electrospun nanofibrous materials as highly responsive fluorescence quenching-based copper sensitive chemosensor is reported. Poly(methyl methacrylate) and ethyl cellulose were used as polymeric support materials. Sensing slides were fabricated by electrospinning technique. Copper sensors based on the change in the fluorescence signal intensity of fluoroionophore; N′-3-(4-(dimethylamino phenly)allylidene)isonicotinohydrazide. The sensor slides exhibited high sensitivities due to the high surface area of the nanofibrous membrane structures. The preliminary results of Stern–Volmer analysis show that the sensitivities of electrospun nanofibrous membranes to detect Cu(II) ions are 6–20-fold higher than those of the continuous thin films. By this way we obtained linear calibration plots for Cu(II) ions in the concentration range of 10−12–10−5 M. The response times of the sensing slides were less than 1 min. Stability of the employed ionophore in the matrix materials was excellent and when stored in the ambient air of the laboratory there was no significant drift in signal intensity after 6 months. Our stability tests are still in progress.

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► Copper sensing materials were fabricated by electrospinning technique.
► Sensor based on the change in the fluorescence signal intensity of a fluoroionophore.
► Polymer based sensors were prepared both in thin film and electrospun nanofiber form.
► Sensor works in the concentration range of 10−12–10−5 M.
► Sensitivity of the electrospun membranes was higher than those of the thin films.