pH biosensors based on hydrogel optical fiber

This paper presents a hydrogel optical fiber fluorescence pH sensor doped with 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (5(6)-FAM). The hydrogel optical fiber was fabricated with 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone as a photoinitiator, with different concentrations of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) for the core and cladding. A pH-sensitive fluorescence indicator 5(6)-FAM was doped into the core of the fiber. The prepared hydrogel optical fiber pH sensor showed good response within the pH range of 5.0–9.0. The linear range of the pH sensor is 6.0 to 8.0, with ${{R}^2} = {0.9904}$; within this range, the sensor shows good repeatability and reversibility, and the resolution is 0.07 pH units. The pHs of pork tissues soaked in different pH buffers were detected by the hydrogel optical fiber pH sensor; the linearity is 0.9828 when the pork tissue pH is in the range of 6.0–7.5. Due to the good ion permeability and biocompatibility of the hydrogel, this hydrogel optical fiber pH sensor is expected to be used in biomedical applications.