Thin-film oxygen sensors using a luminescent polynuclear gold(I) complex

[Display omitted] ► Thin film sensors fabricated for gaseous and dissolved oxygen. ► Polynuclear gold complex encapsulated in polystyrene and ormosil matrices. ► Ormosil sensor showed linear Stern–Volmer plot for dissolved oxygen. ► Gaseous oxygen Stern–Volmer plots were downward turning. ► Sensors were stable, reversible, with fast response times. Robust thin-film oxygen sensors were fabricated by encapsulating a lipophilic, polynuclear gold(I) complex, bis{m-(bis(diphenylphosphino)octadecylamine-P,P′)}dichlorodigold(I), in oxygen permeable polystyrene and ormosil matrices. Strong phosphorescence, which was quenched by gaseous and dissolved oxygen, was observed from both matrices. The polystyrene encapsulated dye exhibited downward-turning Stern–Volmer plots which were well fitted by a two-site model. The ormosil trapped complex showed linear Stern–Volmer plots for dissolved oxygen quenching but was downward turning for gaseous oxygen. No leaching was observed when the ormosil based sensors were immersed in flowing water over an 8 h period. Both films exhibited fully reversible response and recovery to changing oxygen concentration with rapid response times.