Introduction

Gaseous analytes sensor able to perform enantiomeric differentiation. A bilayer organic thin-film transistor sensor—comprising an outermost layer with built-in enantioselective properties. The invention is a significant step forward in the development of a high-performance and versatile sensing platform, compatible with flexible organic electronic technologies, for applications in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

Technical features

The invention involves the development of a novel chiral bilayer organic thin-film transistor gas sensor. The invention also deals with the synthesis of new organic compounds, in particular, oligo (phenylenethienylenes) substituted with alcoxylic chains functionalized with optically active amino acids or monosaccharides. Existing techniques are time consuming, expensive, and not suitable for real time monitoring. Chiral discrimination by using sensors is an alternative method that allows real time analysis, low cost instrumentation and almost zero waste of expensive reagents. Chiral sensors have the potential to replace conventional off-line analytical techniques in industrial process flow control and high throughout screening procedure of chiral compounds.

Possible Applications

• Monitoring of the enantiomeric purity in asymmetric synthesis, particularly important in pharmaceutical industry;
• Agrochemical industries since several chiral pesticides appear to have different impact on the environment.

Advantages

• New configuration of devices for the production of OTFT gas sensors with enhanced sensitivity;
• New generation of gas multiparametric sensors for chiral discrimination;
• On-line monitoring during the industrial production/synthesis of drugs or other enantiomeric compounds.