Responsive photonic crystal for the sensing of environmental pollutants

This review covers the concepts of photonic crystal (PhC) and its usage for the sensing of environmental pollutants. PhCs are composed of periodic and ordered nanostructures which can manipulate the diffraction or reflection of light propagation through the structures. If the light spectra locate in the visible range, the color of materials can be observed by naked eye. The optical properties of PhCs are determined by the lattice constant of the crystal or by the refractive index contrast between the colloids and the surrounding medium. Based on these features, responsive PhCs can be designed to detect the environmental pollutants. In this review, we primarily described the photonic crystals for the sensing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), organophosphates (OPs), heavy metal ions and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and these sensors exhibited excellent sensitivity and are promising for the on-site monitoring of pollutants.