Design of Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors Functionalized with Bisphenol S Based Molecules for Lead Ions Detection

This study concerns the design of surface acoustic wave sensors functionalized with bisphenol S based molecules for lead ions detection. (4-hydroxyphenyl, 4′-benzyloxyphenyl) sulfone (M1), (4-hydroxyphenyl,4′-anthrylmethyloxyphenyl) sulfone (M2) and (4,4′-bis (anthrylmethyloxyphenyl)) sulfone (M3) were synthesized and then drop-coated on the SAWs sensing areas. Gravimetric results indicate that the limit of detection of the three sensors is in the picomolar range and that the M3/SAW sensor has the highest affinity towards lead ions compared to M1/SAW and M2/SAW. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were investigated to support experimental results and to understand the nature of interactions involved between lead ions and the three synthetized molecules.