Time‐Modulated Combinatorially Developed Optical Sensors for Determination of Non‐Volatile Analytes in Complex Samples

Abstract

Abstract We have demonstrated rapid determination of non‐volatile analytes in multiple complex liquid‐phase samples such as those created in combinatorial chemistry and other experiments. The method utilizes analyte‐enhanced fluorescence of a combinatorially selected pair of a solvatochromic reagent bound to a solid support matrix. Our method involves an evaporation step that removes volatile sample components that otherwise interfere with analyte quantification. By applying this time‐modulated analysis of optical signature of a support‐bound solvatochromic reagent after the contact with a liquid sample and interference removal, our method improves selectivity of chemical determinations of liquid samples. The porous nature of the solid support and its packing geometry along with the optical illumination strategy of the sensor permitted volume‐independent analyte determinations over the 30–40‐μL sample volume, typical for the robotic delivery systems. Using our detection method and bisphenol A (BPA) as a model analyte, we were able to provide rapid selective determinations of BPA over 880 ppm‐25 wt.‐% concentration range without interferences from phenol, acetone, acetonitrile, and water.