The sensors can be applied in medicine, for example, in diagnosing tumour hypoxia – a condition in which there is almost no oxygen around a tumour, in the food industry – to check whether packaging has lost its seal, and in biotechnology – to precisely monitor cell cultivation processes. Moreover, their performance can be observed with the naked eye, while their record-high sensitivity ensures rapid and reliable detection.
No toxic compounds used
“We developed two new materials that act as highly sensitive oxygen sensors. Their luminescence depends on the presence of oxygen in the environment – without it, the light not only intensifies but also changes colour from blue to green. This change can be observed with the naked eye, allowing oxygen detection without complex equipment,” says one of the authors of the innovation, Dr Matas Gužauskas.