Sensing material for oxygen gas prepared by doping sol–gel film with tris (2,2-bipyridyl)dichlororuthenium complex

A ruthenium complex, tris (2,2-bipyridyl)dichlororuthenium (TBDR) has been entrapped inside sol–gel films for the purpose of O2 sensing based on fluorescence quenching. The properties of this sensing material including fluorescence spectral, repeatability, reproducibility and the response curve are described. Results obtained from this study show that TBDR immobilised in thin films prepared via the sol–gel process gives a reversible response towards O2 gas and the sensing material is regenerable by using N2 gas.