Solution-mixing method for large-scale production of reversible thermochromic and acid/base-colorimetric sensors

Abstract

This contribution introduces a new technique for preparing reversible thermochromic polydiacetylene /zinc(II)/zinc oxide nanocomposites in ambient conditions. Our new solution-mixing method involves simple mixing of all precursors in liquid phase, followed by an incubation at room temperature. The particle size of resultant nanocomposites is quite small, ∼60 nm. The small-size characteristic promotes their sensitivity to acid/base. Important experimental parameters, including aging time, incubating temperature, and type of solvents, were investigated. Compared to conventional techniques, our new method requires much shorter processing time and lesser energy, important for large-scale production.