The development of new detection methods for sulfur compounds in the environment is important due to the known toxicity of sulfur to humans and animals. This is particularly concerning because of the fact that small amounts of sulfur are present in a variety of commercial compounds, including wine, where it acts as an effective preservative and stabilizer of the alcohol content. Current methods of sulfur detection rely on complex chemical reactions, including acid digestion at elevated temperatures, which limits the ability to detect sulfur rapidly using simple and widespread methods. Colorimetric sensors, or those that change color in the presence of the target analyte, have significant appeal as a possible solution to the need for widespread sulfur dioxide detection methods, since they require no instrumentation or laboratory space to detect the target compound. Herein we report the development of color changing sulfur dioxide sensors using cyclodextrin and potassium permanganate functionalized papers. We systematically optimized each of the parameters of the sensor, including the cyclodextrin identity, filter paper structure, exposure time to the sulfur dioxide, and identity of the color-changing potassium permangate element, and report herein the results of such optimization. Efforts towards translating our laboratory-based system into a practical detection device are also included herein.

Investigation of cyclodextrin structure and filter paper parameters on the development of colorimetric sulfur dioxide sensors

ACS Fall 2021

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