Molecular nanocrystals grown in sol-gel thin films for ultrabright chemical sensor applications

Polyaromatic dyes were used to synthesize molecular nanocrystals in sol-gel thin films for sensor applications. Fluorescence Confocal Microscopy (FCM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) experiments showed the advantages of our nanocrystallization process compared with microcrystallization in free solutions. Indeed, we obtained well-dispersed and spherical nanocrystals with a narrow size distribution, exhibiting a good crystallinity. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy allowed us to measure fluorescence lifetimes of nanocrystals in presence of molecular probes. Then, chemical sensoring properties of these molecular nanocrystals were demonstrated.