Design and Synthesis Optimization of Fluorescent Acrylate-Based and Silicate-Based Materials for Carbonyl Adsorption

For their use as chemical sensors, the optimization of the performance of polymeric materials is a critical step in their development for the desired application. The main objective of this work was to identify the best-suited materials to develop a sensor for carbonyl monitoring based on fluorescence. Two categories of materials were compared: acrylate-based materials, obtained by radical polymerization, and silicate-based materials, obtained by sol-gel synthesis. The performances of these materials in terms of yield of polymerization, carbonyl adsorption capacity and fluorescence property were compared. More precisely, the influence of various synthesis parameters such as polymerization type, radical polymerization initiation method, the nature of the functional monomer and the molar ratio of the different reactants was assessed. On the first hand, among acrylate-based materials, the one based on 4-vinylaniline showed better adsorption capacity compared to those based on 3-vinylaniline and 2-vinylaniline. Moreover, materials obtained by UV-polymerization showed a better adsorption capacity compared to those obtained by thermally initiated polymerization. On the other hand, the silicate-based material provided a better synthesis reproducibility, a higher adsorption capacity and a higher fluorescence intensity compared to its acrylate-based counterparts. Finally, contrary to the acrylate-based materials tested, the adsorption capacity and fluorescence properties of silicate-based materials were stable over time.