Liquid crystal-based sensors for selective and quantitative detection of nitrogen dioxide

A highly sensitive nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sensor based on orientational transition of a thin film of liquid crystal (LC) supported on a gold surface is reported. Transport of NO2 molecules through the LC film to the LC–gold interface induces an orientation transition in the LC film. The dynamic behavior of the sensor response exhibits a concentration-dependent response rate that is employed to generate an algorithm for quantitative determination of unknown concentrations. Sensitive, selective and reversible detection with minimal effects of environmental fluctuations suggest that these sensors can be used for quantitative NO2 detection for a number of applications.