Holographic Sensors for Detection of Components in Water Solutions

Determination of Diffusion Coefficient in Hydrogel

“…If the crosslinks of the hydrogel chains selectively interact with a given substance, the hydrogel swells or contracts upon contact with the corresponding components of the aqueous solutions. This allows one to design holographic sensors by recording in the hydrogel a thick-layer hologram that reflects only the component resonant to the period of the layers when the white light is directed onto it [1][2][3]. When the sensor shrinks or swells, the wavelength of the reflected radiation changes, which makes it possible to measure the concentration of that component of the solution to which the crosslinking of the hydrogel matrix is "tuned."…”