Electrospun fluorescent nanofibers and their application in optical sensing

Abstract

Electrospun light-emitting nanofibers are attracting an increasing interest for their potential exploitation in photonic applications, as miniaturized light sources, detectors, waveguides and optical sensors. Fluorescent electrospun fibers can be realized by embedding emissive systems (quantum dots, dyes and bio-chromophores) in optically inert polymer matrices, and by using light-emitting conjugated polymers. The peculiar properties of the electrospinning process allows for obtaining fluorescent fibers featuring typically improved optical properties compared to flat thin films, such as enhanced photoluminescence quantum yield and radiative rates, polarized emission and self-waveguiding of the emitted light. These properties, combined with a high surface area to volume ratio, make these nanostructured materials suitable for high performance optical sensing. This Chapter provides an introductory overview of the properties of fluorescent electrospun nanofibers and presents illustrative examples of their application as optical sensors for the detection of heavy metal ions, explosive compounds and bio-molecules.