Novel optical sensor materials based on solubilization of polar dyes in apolar polymers

Homogenous and fully transparent optical sensor layers have been prepared by pairing anionic indicator dyes with lipophilic quaternary ammonium halides (see Figure for an example) and then dissolving the pairs in an appropriate polymer. The synthesis of six ion pairs and the characterization of the resulting materials are described, along with the mechanisms responsible fo detection of several gascous species and ions