Selective uptake and sensing of nitrate in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).

Nitrogen (N) as a nutrient, in the form of nitrate (NO), is essential for plant growth. Chemical fertilizers are used to increase crop yields, but overuse can lead to forms of environmental pollution necessitating methods to detect and monitor the level of NO in-situ in agricultural soils. Herein we report for the first time the NO selectivity of the inherently conducting polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT).