Humidity effect on real-time response of tetranitro-oxacalix[4] arene-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) acetone sensor at room temperature

Abstract

We report the effect of humidity on the acetone sensitivity of nano-sized thin films obtained by spin coating the oxacalix[4]arenes(1,3) molecules on suitable substrates in this work. The surface morphologies and volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor properties of spin-coated thin films were examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), respectively. It was determined that the sensitivities calculated from the measurements performed using a mixture of acetone and water vapor were 14% and 11% incorrect for the 1 and 3 thin film sensors, respectively, compared to those performed with dry air and acetone mixture.