Sbir/Sttr phase i: Dye-Loaded Mesoporous Material for the Amplified Fluorescence-Quenching Detection of Metal Ions

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)Phase Iproject will explore a system for improving the sensitivity of fluorescence-based metal-ion sensing. It will use a novel mesoporous material that responds to the presence of certain metal ions by undergoing a precipitous drop in fluorescence intensity. This will enable the detection of trace amounts of toxic or otherwise problematical metal ions in e.g. drinking water, hazardous waste sites, and industrial waste streams. This sensing system can then be incorporated into a test strip-like format in a polymer matrix to give a mass-producible and hence cost-effective, single-use trace metal sensor. These sensors can be made widely available and thereby can improve the amount of information on the presence of metals of concern in the home, workplace, and environment.