Molecular recognition and quantitative analysis of xylene isomers utilizing cataluminescence sensor array.

A facile and effective sensor array consisting of three cataluminescence (CTL) sensors based on nanomaterial Y(2)O(3), γ-Al(2)O(3) and ZrO(2) as probes was firstly proposed for the molecular recognition and quantitative analysis of xylene isomers. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range of CTL intensity versus concentration of xylene isomers was 86.70-8670.00 mg m(-3). The use of a sensor array instead of a single sensor has provided a novel strategy for the process of identifying similar chemical compounds, which should have a bright future in environmental and industrial monitoring.