We report results from thin films of novel biomaterials based on natural minerals, never before synthesized in the laboratory using primarily non-toxic and environmentally friendly materials and characterized optically. These biomaterial films have high indices of refraction and would be a natural and toxicologically safe material to use for large-area optical sensing of molecules, including toxic industrial molecules. Adhering modest concentrations of molecules in solution (water/humidity, ethanol, glucose, ammonia, etc.) to the surface of a Fabry-Perot cavity is shown experimentally to sufficiently alter the index of refraction and thickness of the Fabry-Perot films to enable detection of the molecules via optical methods (reflectance, ellipsometry, transmission, etc.). We report laboratory sensing of 3 types of molecules in solution with controlled high-quality Fabry-Perot cavities. We discuss different and better biominerals to use and discern potential applications.
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