Patent ID: 7201876

Claim:
An ion-detecting sensor for detecting a target ion in a sample, comprising (i) a self-plasticizing copolymer comprising polymerized units of methacrylate monomers; and (ii) a functionalized ionophore of said ion, wherein at least a portion of the functionalized ionophore is grafted onto the copolymer through covalent linkages, and wherein said methacrylate monomers comprise a monomer having an R 1 pendant alkyl group and a monomer having an R 2 pendant alkyl group, wherein R 1 is any of C 1-3 alkyl groups and R 2 is any of C 4-12 alkyl groups, wherein the self-plasticizing copolymer has a glass transitional temperature (T g ) of about or below 0° C.