Aminated polystyrene membranes for a fiber optic pH sensor based on reflectance changes accompanying polymer swelling

We have prepared toughened, porous, aminated polystyrene membranes that undergo an increase in reflectance as the pH increases from 6.8 to 8.0. Vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) is copolymerized with divinylbenzene (DVB) in the presence of a toughening agent, Kraton G1652, a styrene-ethylene, butylene-styrene triblock copolymer, and a porogenic solvent, xylene/dodecane. The optimum formulation for sensing is 2% DVB (mel DVB/mol VBC), 2% Kraton (g Kraton/g VBC) and 40% (v/v) 2:1 xylene: dodecane. Benzoyl peroxide is used as the initiator. The components are partially polymerized at 85 degrees C to a viscosity of 600-800 centipoise. The polymerization is then stopped by reducing the temperature. A drop of the partially polymerized solution is confined between two microscope slides and the polymerization reaction is completed. The resulting membrane is then swollen in 1,4-dioxan and reacted with diethanolamine. These membranes have been incorporated into a pH sensor based on changes in reflected intensity measured through a bifurcated bundle of twenty unbuffered 50/55 core/cladding glass-on-glass optical fibers with numerical apertures of 0.57. The resulting sensor is stable and requires inexpensive optical components, a red-emitting LED as the source and a silicon photodiode as the detector.