There is rapid progress in the arena of multi-sensor elements utilizing changes in optical and electrical properties for signal transduction. The implementation of new materials and small-scale devices available for sensing allowed, among others, focusing on complex analytes and gave rise to the implementation of differential vapor and solution phase sensor arrays, arrays composed of fiber optic sensors, microelectrodes, conductive polymers, down to the single-molecule level. The interest in molecular sensing methods has recently shifted to a large degree from selective sensors toward sensor arrays utilizing pattern recognition. This approach has promoted the development of so-called chemical noses, tongues, and biochips. Our group invested significant effort into converting our anions sensors into array based sensor chips that can be fabricated on demand by InkJet printing.
Currently, we are pursuing three main types of array-based analyses: 1) identification/analysis of anions in multi-analyte environments, 2) analyses of heavy-metal cations in water for environmental applications, and 3) identification/analysis of anionic drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) under physiological conditions. Toward this end, we synthesize various chromophores-sensors capable of color- and/or fluorescence-changes in the presence of various analytes. Our recent contributions on these topics are published in JACS (DOI: 10.1021/ja0704784) and ChemCom (DOI: 10.1039/b705392d).