title: Ionophore-based optical sensors.
abstract: This review provides an overview of the key aspects of designing ionophore-based optical sensors (IBOS). Exact response functions are developed and compared with a simplified, generalized equation. We also provide a brief introduction into less established but promising working principles, namely dynamic response and exhaustive exchange. Absorbance and fluorescence are the main optical readout strategies used in the evaluation of a sensor response, but they usually require a robust referencing technique for real-world applications. Established referencing schemes using IBOS as well as those from other optical sensors are also discussed. Finally, the power of recently developed photoresponsive ion extraction/release systems is outlined and discussed in view of dynamically switchable IBOS or regenerative exhaustive exchange IBOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; email: g.mistlberger@gmail.com , gaston.crespo@unige.ch , eric.bakker@unige.ch.
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mistlberger
authors.forename: Gastón A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bakker
keywords: chemical mapping; ion sensing; pH cross sensitivity; photoresponsive ion sensors; referenced signals