Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a crucial role in the biosphere, acting as an indicator of anthropogenic activity. Its monitoring is fundamental for controlling air and water quality, preserving the environment and optimizing industrial processes. The preparation of a bright fluorescent scaffold, named rhodol, was optimized by employing microwave heating as an alternative heating source, achieving shorter reaction times and higher yields. Structural characterization was performed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS-ESI). Its application to produce a fluorescent optical membrane for monitoring CO2 in gas (gCO2) and in water (dCO2) was explored. Two different setups are used for this purpose, and in both, the same optical response is observed: the membrane's fluorescence intensity decreases as the CO2 concentration increases. The sensor's reliability for dCO2 is demonstrated through testing concentrations ranging from 1 ppm to 100 ppm with minimal photobleaching (0.0026 dB) over 7500 data points with an integration time of 200 ms each. The sensor performance for dCO2 evaluation exhibits an experimental error of +/- 1.81 ppm, a response time of 2 min, a limit of detection of 0.6 ppm and a Stokes-shift of 90 nm for concentrations between 1 and 100 ppm. Monitoring of gCO2 using this membrane is hindered by changes in relative humidity (RH), hence the results for concentration between 0.3 % and 100 % of gCO2 were achieved by maintaining a consistent high value of RH. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of the optimized rhodol synthesis and its application in an optical membrane for reliable monitoring of CO2 in various environmental conditions.

Abstract
The phase-matching conditions for exciting surface plasmon resonances (SPR) in plasmonic films are typically satisfied via prism, optical fibers or grating-assisted coupling. We recently showed that plasmonic nanospheres can act as local emitters, exciting SPR waves on thin films-termed nanoparticle-induced SPR (NPI-SPR). This structure holds promise for sensing, but the effects of optical fiber geometry and nanoparticle anisotropy on the response were unexplored. This study examines these factors, showing that an etched multimode fiber with a 200 mu m core diameter, taper ratio of 4, and etching angle of 20 degrees optimizes interaction with plasmonic nanoparticles. Tuning the nanoparticle aspect ratio from 1 to 3 shifts the NPI-SPR band from 780 to 1580 nm, with excitation highly dependent on the incident light angle. Notably, for light incident parallel to the film plane, a refractive index sensitivity exceeding 1000 nm/RIU is achieved. This efficient light emission combines the field locality enhancements of plasmonic nanoparticle-on-film structures with the emission efficiency of plasmonic nanoantennas, advancing plasmonic optical fiber chemical and biosensors.

Abstract
Optical sensing exploiting plasmonics and other types of surface waves provides exceptional performance for chemical and biological detection due to its high sensitivity and real-time capabilities. This study explores the integration of thin films with plasmonic, specifically leveraging metallic and dielectric nano structures, fabricated through sputtering and colloidal synthesis techniques. Advanced surface wave excitations such as localized surface plasmon resonances (SPR), Tamm Plasmon Polaritons (TPP), Bloch surface waves, and surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) are used to amplify sensor performance. Simulations and experimental data show that these nanostructured coatings significantly enhance electromagnetic field confinement, leading to improved detection limits and sensor robustness, showcasing promising applications in environmental monitoring, gas detection, and biomedical diagnostics.

Abstract

A novel technique based on multiple amplitude wavelength modulation spectroscopy (MA-WMS) for simultaneous measurement of CH4 gas concentration and pressure was developed and validated both through simulation and experiment, showing good agreement. To capture the spectrum broadening caused by increasing pressure and concomitantly obtain the concentration at the sensor’s location, a laser centered at 1650.9 nm was subjected to multiple amplitude modulation depths while the 2fm signal, normalized by the DC component (an invariant quantity under optical loss), was recorded. While the use of a single and fixed modulation can introduce an ambiguity, as different pairs of pressure and concentration can yield the same value, this ambiguity is eliminated by employing multiple amplitude modulations. In this approach, the intersection point of the three level curves can provide the local pressure and concentration. The proposed system was able to measure concentrations from a few percentage points up to 50% and pressure from 0.02 atm up to 2 atm, with a maximum error of 2% in concentration and 0.06 atm in pressure, respectively. The system was also tested for attenuation insensitivity, demonstrating that measurements were not significantly affected for up to 10 dB applied optical loss.

Abstract
Due to the increase in energy consumption based on fossil fuels, sustainable alternatives have emerged, and green hydrogen (H-2) is one of them. This fuel is a promising eco-friendly energy source but is highly flammable. Therefore, continuous monitoring is essential, where optical sensors can contribute with a fast and remote sensing capability. In this field, plasmonic sensors have demonstrated high sensitivity, but with the plasmonic band in the visible range and low definition in the infrared. It presents a sensing structure for H-2 sensing composed of inexpensive materials (SiO2 and TiO2) and Pd as a sensitive medium, which supports Tamm Plasmon Resonance. The structure is numerically optimized to obtain a plasmonic band around 1550nm, which was experimentally validated with a sensitivity of 9.5nm in the presence of 4 vol% H2 and a response time of 30 seconds. This work aims to emphasize the advantages of this plasmonic technique for gas sensing at the infrared spectral range, allowing remote sensing.