Most of the disadvantages that exist with electrochemical devices (e.g., short lifetimes, difficult to miniaturize, need of reference electrodes) can be avoided by using optical sensors. Smock et al. describe a device incorporating a ninhydrin coated fused silica rod that could detect ammonia vapor at concentrations below 100 ppb, however, the reaction is irreversible. Guiliani et al. describe a reversible sensor using a dye coated capillary tube. The dye utilized is oxazine perchlorate, a laser dye. They report that the presence of water vapor is an important factor in the detection of ammonia, and the concentration of water vapor must be controlled. Optical sensors built-up in integrated-optic technique with planar waveguide configurations allow the construction of optical sensor systems for a parallel detection of several chemical species, provide the generation of reference signals, and facilitate the problem of cross-sensitivities. Here, we report on integrated-optic sensors for ammonia detection with a sensitivity in the ppb-range. The reaction is reversible, and the response is independent of the water vapor concentration in the test gas.
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