Some materials that are active heterogeneous catalysts for the breakdown of non-ionic aromatic solutes in water are found to act as potentiometric sensitizers for same solutes. As an example, here the aromatic water pollutant, benzyl alcohol, was sensed with a limit of detection below its potability limit of 19 μM. Our findings are rationalized on the grounds that both catalysis and sensing rely on adhesion of analyte/substrate on the sensitizer/catalyst. Specifically, a set of powdered transition metal-doped zeolites and related frameworks that catalyze the oxidation of waterborne aromatic pollutants were dispersed in phase transfer matrices. Matrices were introduced into water-gated thin film transistors that act as potentiometric transducers. Potentiometric sensing of non-ionic waterborne pollutants is limited to molecules with a ‘free’ molecular dipole, i.e., a dipole that is not locked in the molecular plane. The present work establishes an application for catalysts beyond catalysis itself. The use of catalysts as sensitizers is recommended for wider uptake and in reverse, to screen candidate catalysts.

已发现某些物质是用于分解水中非离子型芳香族溶质的活性多相催化剂，可充当相同溶质的电位敏化剂。例如，此处检测到的芳香极限污染物苄醇的检出限低于其适用性限值19μM。我们的发现是合理的，因为催化和传感都依赖于分析物/底物在敏化剂/催化剂上的粘附。具体地，将一组催化过渡水基芳族污染物氧化的粉末状过渡金属掺杂沸石和相关骨架分散在相转移基质中。矩阵被引入到水控薄膜晶体管中，该晶体管用作电位传感器。非离子型水污染物的电位检测仅限于具有“自由”分子偶极子的分子，即没有锁定在分子平面中的偶极子。本工作建立了催化剂本身以外的催化剂的应用。建议将催化剂用作敏化剂，以扩大吸收范围，反之，则可以筛选候选催化剂。