Electrically excited polymers for the detection of dinitrobenzene

In this paper, we present an organic light emitting diode (OLED) used as a sensor for the detection of 1,4-dinitrobenzene (1,4-DNB). The detection method relies on the attenuation of the emitted light due to interactions between the 1,4-DNB and the active organic layer. The mechanism responsible for this attenuation involves an electron transfer from the electron donating organic layer to the electron deficient nitroaromatic 1,4-DNB. Devices were fabricated and tested against various concentrations of 1,4-DNB to determine if a dependence on concentration exists and to reveal more detail about the internal quenching mechanism.