Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making a swellable sol-gel composition that involves the use of a bridged silane precursor. The resulting sol-gel includes residual silanols, which are derivatized with a reagent having at least one silanol-reactive group and at least one alkyl group; and the sol-gel is then dried. Sol-gels of the invention are demonstrated to swell up to about 8-10 times their original volume in the presence of a non-polar sorbate. The sol-gel compositions can be used in a sorbate-activated actuator or in a detector for non-polar sorbates. The sol-gel compositions can further be used to take up non-polar sorbates for purposes of chemical remediation, extraction from aqueous systems or vapor, and chemical sensing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a chemically-sensitive film for use in a detector for TNT, where the chemically sensitive film includes a porous, polymeric structure and a plurality of basic functional groups integral with the porous, polymeric structure, and the basic functional groups are selectively reactive with TNT. Waveguides coated with these films can be used in sensing devices that are capable of selectively detecting TNT in a sample. Methods of making the films, waveguides, and sensors are disclosed.