A europium(III)-based nanooptode for bicarbonate sensing - a multicomponent approach to sensor materials.

Lanthanide luminescence contains detailed chemical information and can be used to report on several chemical analytes. This has been exploited through elaborate synthesis of responsive lanthanide complexes. Here, we report on a less elaborate approach and assemble four different nanooptodes. Europium(III) is used to sense the bicarbonate concentration. The signal from the optode was enhanced 100 times using antenna chromophore and the response was modulated by the addition of lipophilic cations.