All-optical corrole-based oxygen sensor

Abstract

We investigate the applicability of a corrole molecule, 5,15-bis(pentafluorophenyl)- 10-(4-methylphenyl)-corrole, as a possible fluorescent sensor of oxygen. Upon illumination we observe a strong increase of the fluorescence intensity and the emission spectrum broadens considerably towards a short wavelength range. This behaviour is in contrast to most fluorescent molecules, which typically feature photobleaching. For the corrole studied here, classic photobleaching is observed only when the sample is placed in a vacuum. This unique behaviour of fluorescence emission suggests the use of these molecules in all-optical oxygen sensor architectures.