NOVEL DURABLE SOL-GEL FIBER-OPTIC SENSORS FOR USE IN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND/OR PRESSURE ENVIRONMENTS DEVELOPMENT OF A PROCESS TO SYNTHESIZE TUBULAR FULLERENES

THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO DEMONSTRATE THE UTILITY OF EMPLOYING NOVEL FIBER-OPTIC SENSORS FOR USE IN HIGH PRESSURE AND HIGH TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENTS. THE PLANNED SENSOR DESIGN EMPLOYS A NOVEL "SURFACE COMPOSITE" CONTAINING SOL-GEL COATINGS AND IMMOBILIZED FLUORESCENT ORGANIC COMPOUNDS. THE FIRST GOAL IS TO CHARACTERIZE AND DISCOVER WHAT FACTORS GOVERN THE ANALYTICAL FIGURES OF MERIT. TWO SPECIFIC SENSOR TYPES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO REVEAL THE UNIQUE FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF THE DESIGN ARE BEING PLANNED. THE MICROPOROUS NATURE OF THE NONDENSIFIED SOL-GEL PREPARATIONS PROVIDES A UNIQUE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT THAT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY STABLE AND IS EXPECTED TO PERMIT GREATER SELECTIVITY AND SENSITIVITY. IN PHASE I, SAMPLE FILMS ARE BEING PREPARED AND ANALYZED TO DETERMINE THEIR UNIFORMITY AND OPTICAL QUALITY. THESE SAMPLES ARE THEN TESTED IN A VARIETY OF COMDITIONS TO ASSESS THEIR PHYSICAL AND SPECTROSCOPIC RESPONSES. THE RESULTS WILL BE CRITICALLY REVIEWED WITH RESPECT TO THE POTENTIAL OF THIS DESIGN (AND THESE MATERIALS) TO FUNCTION UNDER NONAMBIENT CONDITIONS.