Abstract

A sensor is a molecule that is designed to spectrally and electrochemically sense cations, anions and neutral molecules or other substrate molecules via non-covalent interactions, coulombic or a combination. These interactions involve hydrogen bonding, coulombic, coulombic in the presence of hydrogen bonding interactions. The design of a sensor is a thoughtful process, since the binding sites of the receptors must complement those of the substrates. It’s important that the binding sites of chemical sensors be close to the redox active centre, so that any perturbation may be electrochemically sense. Electrochemically, binding can be reversible and irreversible. Over the years chemical sensors have been fabricated from several synthetic platforms which may or may not be redox active or endowed with a spectral chromophore. Amongst synthetic skeletons employed are: ferrocene, cobaltecenium, bipyridine, calixarene, porphyrins etc. These have been functionalized with amides and urea linkages. The complexity of the sensor may be increased via the presence of functionalities that may allow the sensor to self-assemble in solution. This presentation, outline the design, synthesis and spectral and electrochemical sensing of contemporary sensors in chemical sensor technology.

Keywords:Sensor; Hydrogen bonding interactions; Non-covalent interactions; Spectral and electrochemical