Structurally colored transition metal containing

This type of chromogenic sensor utilizes the coordination chemistry of transition metal complexes, which have vacant binding sites to bind specific anions or have pendant arms containing anion receptor units. Transition metal complexes already have their own specific colors due to their different electronic structures. Coordinating directly to anions or binding of anions by the pendant arms results in perturbations of their electronic structures and causes color changes. 

Anhydrous AI2O3 occurs naturally as the extremely hard, high-melting mineral corundum, which has a network structure. It is colorless when pure, but becomes colored when transition metal ions replace a few Al + ions in the crystal. Sapphire is usually blue and contains some iron and titanium. Ruby is red due to the presence of small amounts of chromium. 

The second class of sol-gels contains redox-active metal oxides, such as tungsten oxide, vanadium pentoxide, manganese oxide, and other transition metal oxides. Moreover, many n-type semiconductors such as zinc oxide, barium titanate, and titanium dioxide can be used in this class (113). The structures of these gels are sensitive to the pH and oxidation state of the precursors. Many redox-active sol-gels exhibit electrochromism (different oxidation states exhibit different colors, allowing spectroscopic determination of redox states). These gels can also accommodate the reductive insertion of lithium and other moieties. 

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