SiC-Based Schottky Diode Gas Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Neudeck, Philip G.; Chen, Liang-Yu; Knight, Dak; Liu, Chung-Chiun; Wu, Quing-Hai

1997-01-01

Silicon carbide based Schottky diode gas sensors are being developed for high temperature applications such as emission measurements. Two different types of gas sensitive diodes will be discussed in this paper. By varying the structure of the diode, one can affect the diode stability as well as the diode sensitivity to various gases. It is concluded that the ability of SiC to operate as a high temperature semiconductor significantly enhances the versatility of the Schottky diode gas sensing structure and will potentially allow the fabrication of a SiC-based gas sensor arrays for versatile high temperature gas sensing applications.

The sensitivity of gas sensor based on single ZnO nanowire modulated by helium ion radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liao, L.; Lu, H. B.; Li, J. C.

2007-10-22

In this letter, we present a gas sensor using a single ZnO nanowire as a sensing unit. This ZnO nanowire-based sensor has quick and high sensitive response to H{sub 2}S in air at room temperature. It has also been found that the gas sensitivity of the ZnO nanowires could be modulated and enhanced by He{sup +} implantation at an appropriate dose. A possible explanation is given based on the modulation model of the depletion layer.

Rapid Measurement of Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Electrochemical Gas Sensor using Transient Double Potential Amperometry

PubMed Central

Wan, Hao; Yin, Heyu; Mason, Andrew J.

2016-01-01

Intense study on gas sensors has been conducted to implement fast gas sensing with high sensitivity, reliability and long lifetime. This paper presents a rapid amperometric method for gas sensing based on a room temperature ionic liquid electrochemical gas sensor. To implement a miniaturized sensor with a fast response time, a three electrode system with gold interdigitated electrodes was fabricated by photolithography on a porous polytetrafluoroethylene substrate that greatly enhances gas diffusion. Furthermore, based on the reversible reaction of oxygen, a new transient double potential amperometry (DPA) was explored for electrochemical analysis to decrease the measurement time and reverse reaction by-products that could cause current drift. Parameters in transient DPA including oxidation potential, oxidation period, reduction period and sample point were investigated to study their influence on the performance of the sensor. Oxygen measurement could be accomplished in 4 s, and the sensor presented a sensitivity of 0.2863 μA/[%O2] and a linearity of 0.9943 when tested in air samples with different oxygen concentrations. Repeatability and long-term stability were also investigated, and the sensor was shown to exhibit good reliability. In comparison to conventional constant potential amperometry, transient DPA was shown to reduce relative standard deviation by 63.2%. With transient DPA, the sensitivity, linearity, repeatability, measurement time and current drift characteristics demonstrated by the presented gas sensor are promising for acute exposure applications. PMID:28603384

Rapid Measurement of Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Electrochemical Gas Sensor using Transient Double Potential Amperometry.

PubMed

Wan, Hao; Yin, Heyu; Mason, Andrew J

2017-04-01

Intense study on gas sensors has been conducted to implement fast gas sensing with high sensitivity, reliability and long lifetime. This paper presents a rapid amperometric method for gas sensing based on a room temperature ionic liquid electrochemical gas sensor. To implement a miniaturized sensor with a fast response time, a three electrode system with gold interdigitated electrodes was fabricated by photolithography on a porous polytetrafluoroethylene substrate that greatly enhances gas diffusion. Furthermore, based on the reversible reaction of oxygen, a new transient double potential amperometry (DPA) was explored for electrochemical analysis to decrease the measurement time and reverse reaction by-products that could cause current drift. Parameters in transient DPA including oxidation potential, oxidation period, reduction period and sample point were investigated to study their influence on the performance of the sensor. Oxygen measurement could be accomplished in 4 s, and the sensor presented a sensitivity of 0.2863 μA/[%O 2 ] and a linearity of 0.9943 when tested in air samples with different oxygen concentrations. Repeatability and long-term stability were also investigated, and the sensor was shown to exhibit good reliability. In comparison to conventional constant potential amperometry, transient DPA was shown to reduce relative standard deviation by 63.2%. With transient DPA, the sensitivity, linearity, repeatability, measurement time and current drift characteristics demonstrated by the presented gas sensor are promising for acute exposure applications.

Highly sensitive nanostructure SnO2 based gas sensor for environmental pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korgaokar, Sushil; Moradiya, Meet; Prajapati, Om; Thakkar, Pranav; Pala, Jay; Savaliya, Chirag; Parikh, Sachin; Markna, J. H.

2017-05-01

A major quantity of pollutants are produced from industries and vehicles in the form of gas. New approaches are needed to solve well-known environmental pollutants like CO, CO2, NO2, SOx. Therefore detection with effective gas sensors is a vital part of pollution prevention efforts. There is a need to develop fast, rapid, cost-effective, highly sensitive, low power, and non-intrusive rugged sensors that can be easily installed. In the present study, nanostructured SnO2 used as a sensitive material in the devices and synthesized using hydrothermal process. The detailed development of the fabrication of SnO2 nanostructures gas sensor is described, which shows the remarkable change in the sensing properties with varying particle size. Additionally, we have used X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for characterization and carefully examined the relative parameters like response magnitude (sensitivity) and selectivity of SnO2 nano structures with different particle size.

A Rapid Process for Fabricating Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Hsiao, Chun-Ching; Luo, Li-Siang

2014-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a low-toxicity and environmentally-friendly material applied on devices, sensors or actuators for “green” usage. A porous ZnO film deposited by a rapid process of aerosol deposition (AD) was employed as the gas-sensitive material in a CO gas sensor to reduce both manufacturing cost and time, and to further extend the AD application for a large-scale production. The relative resistance change (ΔR/R) of the ZnO gas sensor was used for gas measurement. The fabricated ZnO gas sensors were measured with operating temperatures ranging from 110 °C to 180 °C, and CO concentrations ranging from 100 ppm to 1000 ppm. The sensitivity and the response time presented good performance at increasing operating temperatures and CO concentrations. AD was successfully for applied for making ZnO gas sensors with great potential for achieving high deposition rates at low deposition temperatures, large-scale production and low cost. PMID:25010696

Facile Fabrication of Multi-hierarchical Porous Polyaniline Composite as Pressure Sensor and Gas Sensor with Adjustable Sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xiao-Xiao; Li, Jin-Tao; Jia, Xian-Sheng; Tong, Lu; Wang, Xiao-Xiong; Zhang, Jun; Zheng, Jie; Ning, Xin; Long, Yun-Ze

2017-08-01

A multi-hierarchical porous polyaniline (PANI) composite which could be used in good performance pressure sensor and adjustable sensitivity gas sensor has been fabricated by a facile in situ polymerization. Commercial grade sponge was utilized as a template scaffold to deposit PANI via in situ polymerization. With abundant interconnected pores throughout the whole structure, the sponge provided sufficient surface for the growth of PANI nanobranches. The flexible porous structure helped the composite to show high performance in pressure detection with fast response and favorable recoverability and gas detection with adjustable sensitivity. The sensing mechanism of the PANI/sponge-based flexible sensor has also been discussed. The results indicate that this work provides a feasible approach to fabricate efficient sensors with advantages of low cost, facile preparation, and easy signal collection.

Facile Fabrication of Multi-hierarchical Porous Polyaniline Composite as Pressure Sensor and Gas Sensor with Adjustable Sensitivity.

PubMed

He, Xiao-Xiao; Li, Jin-Tao; Jia, Xian-Sheng; Tong, Lu; Wang, Xiao-Xiong; Zhang, Jun; Zheng, Jie; Ning, Xin; Long, Yun-Ze

2017-12-01

A multi-hierarchical porous polyaniline (PANI) composite which could be used in good performance pressure sensor and adjustable sensitivity gas sensor has been fabricated by a facile in situ polymerization. Commercial grade sponge was utilized as a template scaffold to deposit PANI via in situ polymerization. With abundant interconnected pores throughout the whole structure, the sponge provided sufficient surface for the growth of PANI nanobranches. The flexible porous structure helped the composite to show high performance in pressure detection with fast response and favorable recoverability and gas detection with adjustable sensitivity. The sensing mechanism of the PANI/sponge-based flexible sensor has also been discussed. The results indicate that this work provides a feasible approach to fabricate efficient sensors with advantages of low cost, facile preparation, and easy signal collection.

Silicon photonic dual-gas sensor for H2 and CO2 detection.

PubMed

Mi, Guangcan; Horvath, Cameron; Van, Vien

2017-07-10

We report a silicon photonic dual-gas sensor based on a wavelength-multiplexed microring resonator array for simultaneous detection of H 2 and CO 2 gases. The sensor uses Pd as the sensing layer for H 2 gas and a novel functional material based on the Polyhexamethylene Biguanide (PHMB) polymer for CO 2 gas sensing. Gas sensing experiments showed that the PHMB-functionalized microring exhibited high sensitivity to CO 2 gas and excellent selectivity against H 2 . However, the Pd-functionalized microring was found to exhibit sensitivity to both H 2 and CO 2 gases, rendering it ineffective for detecting H 2 in a gas mixture containing CO 2 . We show that the dual-gas sensing scheme can allow for accurate measurement of H 2 concentration in the presence of CO 2 by accounting for the cross-sensitivity of Pd to the latter.

Point-contact sensors: New prospects for a nanoscale-sensitive technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamarchuk, G. V.; Pospelov, A. P.; Yeremenko, A. V.; Faulques, E. C.; Yanson, I. K.

2006-11-01

Point contacts have been discovered to present excellent and unprecedented characteristics when used as gas sensors. A novel concept has been tested successfully and opens the way to useful applications. Copper point contacts were investigated in gas media such as NOx, HCl, H2S and human breath. They reveal high sensitivity to these gases: the measured signal increases by 2-3 orders of magnitude upon gas exposure. Sensor parameters are fully restored when gas action ceases. Stable reproducibility of experimental results was observed after several exposure cycles onto the investigated point contacts.

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/polypyrrole core-shell nanofibers: a novel polymeric adsorbent/conducting polymer nanostructures for ultrasensitive gas sensors.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Li, Zhenyu; Jiang, Tingting; Zhao, Zhiwei; Li, Ye; Wang, Zhaojie; Wang, Ce

2012-11-01

Conducting polymers-based gas sensors have attracted increasing research attention these years. The introduction of inorganic sensitizers (noble metals or inorganic semiconductors) within the conducting polymers-based gas sensors has been regarded as the generally effective route for further enhanced sensors. Here we demonstrate a novel route for highly-efficient conducting polymers-based gas sensors by introduction of polymeric sensitizers (polymeric adsorbent) within the conducting polymeric nanostructures to form one-dimensional polymeric adsorbent/conducting polymer core-shell nanocomposites, via electrospinning and solution-phase polymerization. The adsorption effect of the SPEEK toward NH₃ can facilitate the mass diffusion of NH₃ through the PPy layers, resulting in the enhanced sensing signals. On the basis of the SPEEK/PPy nanofibers, the sensors exhibit large gas responses, even when exposed to very low concentration of NH₃ (20 ppb) at room temperature.

Graphene-oxide-coated interferometric optical microfiber ethanol vapor sensor.

PubMed

Zhang, Jingle; Fu, Haiwei; Ding, Jijun; Zhang, Min; Zhu, Yi

2017-11-01

A graphene-oxide-coated interferometric microfiber-sensor-based polarization-maintaining optical fiber is proposed for highly sensitive detecting for ethanol vapor concentration at room temperature in this paper. The strong sensing capability of the sensor to detect the concentration of ethanol vapor is demonstrated, taking advantage of the evanescent field enhancement and gas absorption of a graphene-oxide-coated microfiber. The transmission spectrum of the sensor varies with concentrations of ethanol vapor, and the redshift of the transmission spectrum has been analyzed for the concentration range from 0 to 80 ppm with sensitivity as high as 0.138 nm/ppm. The coated graphene oxide layer induces the evanescent field enhancement and gas selective adsorption, which improves sensitivity and selectivity of the microfiber gas sensor for ethanol vapor detection.

Polymer coated quartz crystal microbalance sensors for detection of volatile organic compounds in gas mixtures.

PubMed

Si, Pengchao; Mortensen, John; Komolov, Alexei; Denborg, Jens; Møller, Preben Juul

2007-08-06

By coating different conducting polymers of thiophene and its derivatives on quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor surfaces, new novel QCM gas sensors have been produced in two simple ways, which could classify testing gas samples of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) gases. Principle components analysis (PCA) has been performed based on the QCM measurement results, which shows that our QCM sensors array has very good utilizing potential on sensing both polar and low-polar/nonpolar VOC gases. The sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility and detection limit of QCM sensors have also been discussed. Quantitative variation of sensitivity response with the increasing concentration has been studied. (PLS) analysis and prediction of concentrations of single gas in mixtures have been carried out.

Highly sensitive hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) gas sensors from viral-templated nanocrystalline gold nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Chung Hee; Zhang, Miluo; Myung, Nosang V.; Haberer, Elaine D.

2014-04-01

A facile, site-specific viral-templated assembly method was used to fabricate sensitive hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas sensors at room temperature. A gold-binding M13 bacteriophage served to organize gold nanoparticles into linear arrays which were used as seeds for subsequent nanowire formation through electroless deposition. Nanowire widths and densities within the sensors were modified by electroless deposition time and phage concentration, respectively, to tune device resistance. Chemiresistive H2S gas sensors with superior room temperature sensing performance were produced with sensitivity of 654%/ppmv, theoretical lowest detection limit of 2 ppbv, and 70% recovery within 9 min for 0.025 ppmv. The role of the viral template and associated gold-binding peptide was elucidated by removing organics using a short O2 plasma treatment followed by an ethanol dip. The template and gold-binding peptide were crucial to electrical and sensor performance. Without surface organics, the resistance fell by several orders of magnitude, the sensitivity dropped by more than a factor of 100 to 6%/ppmv, the lower limit of detection increased, and no recovery was detected with dry air flow. Viral templates provide a novel, alternative fabrication route for highly sensitive, nanostructured H2S gas sensors.

Graphene-Based Long-Period Fiber Grating Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor for High-Sensitivity Gas Sensing

PubMed Central

Wei, Wei; Nong, Jinpeng; Zhang, Guiwen; Tang, Linlong; Jiang, Xiao; Chen, Na; Luo, Suqin; Lan, Guilian; Zhu, Yong

2016-01-01

A graphene-based long-period fiber grating (LPFG) surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed. A monolayer of graphene is coated onto the Ag film surface of the LPFG SPR sensor, which increases the intensity of the evanescent field on the surface of the fiber and thereby enhances the interaction between the SPR wave and molecules. Such features significantly improve the sensitivity of the sensor. The experimental results demonstrate that the sensitivity of the graphene-based LPFG SPR sensor can reach 0.344 nm%−1 for methane, which is improved 2.96 and 1.31 times with respect to the traditional LPFG sensor and Ag-coated LPFG SPR sensor, respectively. Meanwhile, the graphene-based LPFG SPR sensor exhibits excellent response characteristics and repeatability. Such a SPR sensing scheme offers a promising platform to achieve high sensitivity for gas-sensing applications. PMID:28025483

Numerical modeling and performance analysis of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film based gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punetha, Deepak; Ranjan, Rashmi; Pandey, Saurabh Kumar

2018-05-01

This manuscript describes the modeling and analysis of Zinc Oxide thin film based gas sensor. The conductance and sensitivity of the sensing layer has been described by change in temperature as well as change in gas concentration. The analysis has been done for reducing and oxidizing agents. Simulation results revealed the change in resistance and sensitivity of the sensor with respect to temperature and different gas concentration. To check the feasibility of the model, all the simulated results have been analyze by different experimental reported work. Wolkenstein theory has been used to model the proposed sensor and the simulation results have been shown by using device simulation software.

Theoretical investigation on multilayer nanocomposite-based fiber optic SPR sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shojaie, Ehsan; Madanipour, Khosro; Gharibzadeh, Azadeh; Abbasi, Shabnam

2017-06-01

In this work, a multilayer nanocomposite based fiber optic SPR sensor is considered and especially designed for CO2 gas detection. This proposed fiber sensor consists of fiber core, gold-silver alloy and the absorber layers. The investigation is based on the evaluation of the transmitted-power derived under the transfer matrix method and the multiple-reflection in the sensing area. In terms of sensitivity, the sensor performance is studied theoretically under various conditions related to the metal layer and its gold and silver nanoparticles to form a single alloy film. Effect of additional parameters such as the ratio of the alloy composition and the thickness of the alloy film on the performance of the SPR sensor is studied, as well. Finally, a four-layer structure is introduced to detect carbon dioxide gas. It contains core fiber, gold-silver alloy layer, an absorbent layer of carbon dioxide gas (KOH) and measurement environment. Lower price and size are the main advantages of using such a sensor in compare with commercial (NDIR) gas sensor. Theoretical results show by increasing the metal layer thickness the sensitivity of sensor is increased, and by increasing the ratio of the gold in alloy the sensitivity is decreased.

Metal-modified and vertically aligned carbon nanotube sensors array for landfill gas monitoring applications.

PubMed

Penza, M; Rossi, R; Alvisi, M; Serra, E

2010-03-12

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) layers were synthesized on Fe-coated low-cost alumina substrates using radio-frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (RF-PECVD) technology. A miniaturized CNT-based gas sensor array was developed for monitoring landfill gas (LFG) at a temperature of 150 degrees C. The sensor array was composed of 4 sensing elements with unmodified CNT, and CNT loaded with 5 nm nominally thick sputtered nanoclusters of platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru) and silver (Ag). Chemical analysis of multicomponent gas mixtures constituted of CO(2), CH(4), H(2), NH(3), CO and NO(2) has been performed by the array sensor responses and pattern recognition based on principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA results demonstrate that the metal-decorated and vertically aligned CNT sensor array is able to discriminate the NO(2) presence in the multicomponent mixture LFG. The NO(2) gas detection in the mixture LFG was proved to be very sensitive, e.g.: the CNT:Ru sensor shows a relative change in the resistance of 1.50% and 0.55% for NO(2) concentrations of 3.3 ppm and 330 ppb dispersed in the LFG, respectively, with a wide NO(2) gas concentration range measured from 0.33 to 3.3 ppm, at the sensor temperature of 150 degrees C. The morphology and structure of the CNT networks have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. A forest-like nanostructure of vertically aligned CNT bundles in the multi-walled form appeared with a height of about 10 microm and a single-tube diameter varying in the range of 5-35 nm. The intensity ratio of the Raman spectroscopy D-peak and G-peak indicates the presence of disorder and defects in the CNT networks. The size of the metal (Pt, Ru, Ag) nanoclusters decorating the CNT top surface varies in the range of 5-50 nm. Functional characterization based on electrical charge transfer sensing mechanisms in the metal-modified CNT-chemoresistor array demonstrates high sensitivity by providing minimal sub-ppm level detection, e.g., download up to 100 ppb NO(2), at the sensor temperature of 150 degrees C. The gas sensitivity of the CNT sensor array depends on operating temperature, showing a lower optimal temperature of maximum sensitivity for the metal-decorated CNT sensors compared to unmodified CNT sensors. Results indicate that the recovery mechanisms in the CNT chemiresistors can be altered by a rapid heating pulse from room temperature to about 110 degrees C. A comparison of the NO(2) gas sensitivity for the chemiresistors based on disorderly networked CNTs and vertically aligned CNTs is also reported. Cross-sensitivity towards relative humidity of the CNT sensors array is investigated. Finally, the sensing properties of the metal-decorated and vertically aligned CNT sensor arrays are promising to monitor gas events in the LFG for practical applications with low power consumption and moderate sensor temperature.

High resolution gas volume change sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dirckx, Joris J. J.; Aernouts, Jef E. F.; Aerts, Johan R. M.

2007-05-15

Changes of gas quantity in a system can be measured either by measuring pressure changes or by measuring volume changes. As sensitive pressure sensors are readily available, pressure change is the commonly used technique. In many physiologic systems, however, buildup of pressure influences the gas exchange mechanisms, thus changing the gas quantity change rate. If one wants to study the gas flow in or out of a biological gas pocket, measurements need to be done at constant pressure. In this article we present a highly sensitive sensor for quantitative measurements of gas volume change at constant pressure. The sensor ismore » based on optical detection of the movement of a droplet of fluid enclosed in a capillary. The device is easy to use and delivers gas volume data at a rate of more than 15 measurements/s and a resolution better than 0.06 {mu}l. At the onset of a gas quantity change the sensor shows a small pressure artifact of less than 15 Pa, and at constant change rates the pressure artifact is smaller than 10 Pa or 0.01% of ambient pressure.« less

Selective Detection of Formaldehyde Gas Using a Cd-Doped TiO2-SnO2 Sensor

PubMed Central

Zeng, Wen; Liu, Tianmo; Wang, Zhongchang; Tsukimoto, Susumu; Saito, Mitsuhiro; Ikuhara, Yuichi

2009-01-01

We report the microstructure and gas-sensing properties of a nonequilibrium TiO2-SnO2 solid solution prepared by the sol-gel method. In particular, we focus on the effect of Cd doping on the sensing behavior of the TiO2-SnO2 sensor. Of all volatile organic compound gases examined, the sensor with Cd doping exhibits exclusive selectivity as well as high sensitivity to formaldehyde, a main harmful indoor gas. The key gas-sensing quantities, maximum sensitivity, optimal working temperature, and response and recovery time, are found to meet the basic industrial needs. This makes the Cd-doped TiO2-SnO2 composite a promising sensor material for detecting the formaldehyde gas. PMID:22291551

Detection of gas atoms with carbon nanotubes

PubMed Central

Arash, B.; Wang, Q.

2013-01-01

Owning to their unparalleled sensitivity resolution, nanomechanical resonators have excellent capabilities in design of nano-sensors for gas detection. The current challenge is to develop new designs of the resonators for differentiating distinct gas atoms with a recognizably high sensitivity. In this work, the characteristics of impulse wave propagation in carbon nanotube-based sensors are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations to provide a new method for detection of noble gases. A sensitivity index based on wave velocity shifts in a single-walled carbon nanotube, induced by surrounding gas atoms, is defined to explore the efficiency of the nano-sensor. The simulation results indicate that the nano-sensor is able to differentiate distinct noble gases at the same environmental temperature and pressure. The inertia and the strengthening effects by the gases on wave characteristics of carbon nanotubes are particularly discussed, and a continuum mechanics shell model is developed to interpret the effects.

Polyaniline-ZnO nanocomposites as ethanol gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talegaonkar, Janhavi; Patil, Y. B.; Patil, D. R.

2018-05-01

Polyaniline and it`s nanocomposites with ZnO were successfully synthesized by photo-induced polymerization method with various concentrations of ZnO, followed by characterizations viz. SEM, EDAX, XRD, FTIR and UV-Vis. Thick films of synthesized powders were fabricated by screen printing technique for monitoring various gases at different operating temperatures and at various gas concentrations. CuO activated polyaniline-ZnO nano-composite exhibits maximum response of ethanol gas at room temperature. The sensor exhibits high sensitivity, highest selectivity, quick response, fast recovery, long term stability, etc. An exceptional sensitivity was found to low concentrations of ethanol gas at room temperature and no cross sensitivity was observed even to high concentrations of other hazardous and polluting gases. The efforts have been made to develop the ethanol sensor based on PANI and its nanocomposites. The effects of microstructure and surfactant concentration on the ethanol response, selectivity, response and recovery of the sensor in the presence of ethanol gas were studied and discussed.

Highly Sensitive H2S Sensor Based on the Metal-Catalyzed SnO2 Nanocolumns Fabricated by Glancing Angle Deposition

PubMed Central

Yoo, Kwang Soo; Han, Soo Deok; Moon, Hi Gyu; Yoon, Seok-Jin; Kang, Chong-Yun

2015-01-01

As highly sensitive H2S gas sensors, Au- and Ag-catalyzed SnO2 thin films with morphology-controlled nanostructures were fabricated by using e-beam evaporation in combination with the glancing angle deposition (GAD) technique. After annealing at 500 °C for 40 h, the sensors showed a polycrystalline phase with a porous, tilted columnar nanostructure. The gas sensitivities (S = Rgas/Rair) of Au and Ag-catalyzed SnO2 sensors fabricated by the GAD process were 0.009 and 0.015, respectively, under 5 ppm H2S at 300 °C, and the 90% response time was approximately 5 s. These sensors showed excellent sensitivities compared with the SnO2 thin film sensors that were deposited normally (glancing angle = 0°, S = 0.48). PMID:26134105

One-Dimensional Nanostructure Field-Effect Sensors for Gas Detection

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xiaoli; Cai, Bin; Tang, Qingxin; Tong, Yanhong; Liu, Yichun

2014-01-01

Recently; one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure field-effect transistors (FETs) have attracted much attention because of their potential application in gas sensing. Micro/nanoscaled field-effect sensors combine the advantages of 1D nanostructures and the characteristic of field modulation. 1D nanostructures provide a large surface area-volume ratio; which is an outstanding advantage for gas sensors with high sensitivity and fast response. In addition; the nature of the single crystals is favorable for the studies of the response mechanism. On the other hand; one main merit of the field-effect sensors is to provide an extra gate electrode to realize the current modulation; so that the sensitivity can be dramatically enhanced by changing the conductivity when operating the sensors in the subthreshold regime. This article reviews the recent developments in the field of 1D nanostructure FET for gas detection. The sensor configuration; the performance as well as their sensing mechanism are evaluated. PMID:25090418

Non-Intrusive, Distributed Gas Sensing Technology for Advanced Spacesuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delgado, Jesus; Phillips, Straun; Rubtsov, Vladimir; Chullen, Cinda

2015-01-01

Chemical sensors for monitoring gas composition, including oxygen, humidity, carbon dioxide, and trace contaminants are needed to characterize and validate spacesuit design and operating parameters. This paper reports on the first prototypes of a non-intrusive gas sensing technology based on flexible sensitive patches positioned inside spacesuit prototypes and interrogated by optical fibers routed outside the suit, taking advantage of the transparent materials of the suit prototypes. The sensitive patches are based on luminescent materials whose emission parameters vary with the partial pressure of a specific gas. Patches sensitive to carbon dioxide, humidity, oxygen, and ammonia have been developed, and their preliminary characterization in the laboratory using Mark III-like helmet parts is described. The first prototype system consists of a four-channel fiber optic luminescent detector that can be used to monitor any of the selected target gases at four locations. To switch from one gas to another we replace the (disposable) sensor patches and adjust the system settings. Repeatability among sensitive patches and of sensor performance from location to location has been confirmed, assuring that suit engineers will have flexibility in selecting multiple sensing points, fitting the sensor elements into the spacesuit, and easily repositioning the sensor elements as desired. The evaluation of the first prototype for monitoring carbon dioxide during washout studies in a space suit prototype is presented.

Non-Intrusive, Distributed Gas Sensing Technology for Advanced Spacesuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delgado, Jesus; Phillips, Straun; Rubtsov, Vladimir; Chullen, Cinda

2015-01-01

Chemical sensors for monitoring gas composition, including oxygen, humidity, carbon dioxide, and trace contaminants, are needed to characterize and validate spacesuit design and operating parameters. This paper reports on the first prototypes of a non-intrusive gas sensing technology based on flexible sensitive patches positioned inside spacesuit prototypes and interrogated via optical fibers routed outside the suit, taking advantage of the transparent materials of the suit prototypes. The sensitive patches are based on luminescent materials whose emission parameters vary with the partial pressure of a specific gas. Patches sensitive to carbon dioxide, humidity, and temperature have been developed, and their preliminary laboratory characterization in Mark III-like helmet parts is described. The first prototype system consists of a four-channel fiber optic luminescent detector that can be used to monitor any of the selected target gases at four locations. To switch from one gas to another we replace the (disposable) sensor patches and adjust the system settings. Repeatability among sensitive patches and of sensor performance from location to location has been confirmed, assuring that suit engineers will have flexibility in selecting multiple sensing points, fitting the sensor elements into the spacesuit, and easily repositioning the sensor elements as desired. The evaluation of the first prototype for monitoring carbon dioxide during washout studies in a spacesuit prototype is presented.

Fabrication and characterization of SnO2/ZnO gas sensors for detecting toluene gas.

PubMed

Min, Byung-Sam; Park, Young-Ho; Lee, Chang-Seop

2014-11-01

This study investigates the use of SnO2, ZnO, Ag, Au, Cu, In, Pd, Ru and carbon black to improve the sensitivity of a gas sensor for detecting toluene gas. Metal-SnO2/ZnO thick films were screen-printed onto Al2O3 substrates with platinum electrodes. The physico-chemical properties of the sensor materials were characterized using SEM/EDS, XRD, and BET analyses. Measuring the electrical resistance of each sensor as a function of the gas concentration determined the sensing characteristics. The sensors were tested using toluene, benzene, xylene, ethanol, methanol, ammonia and trimethylamine vapors with concentrations of 1-2000 ppm. The gas sensing properties of metal-SnO2/ZnO thick films depended on the content and variety of metals and the content of carbon black. The optimum condition of sensor material for toluene gas detection is operation temperature 300 degrees C and when metal catalyst Cu and carbon black were added. The best sensitivity and selectivity for toluene gas at 300 degrees C resulted from doping with 5 wt.% carbon black, 1 wt.% Cu and 20 wt.% ZnO to SnO2.

Computational investigation of single-wall carbon nanotube functionalized with palladium nanoclusters as hydrogen sulfide gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagherzadeh-Nobari, S.; Hosseini-Istadeh, K.; Kalantarinejad, R.; Elahi, S. M.; Shokri, A. A.

2018-03-01

Our aim is to study theoretically, the sensitivity of a hydrogen sulfide gas sensor, with regard to electrical conductance behavior. Our senor consists of a semiconductor single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT), functionalized with palladium nanoclusters, sandwiched between two gold electrodes. Initially, we have computed the optimized structure of the sensor, via molecular dynamic simulations. Then by using non-equilibrium Green's function method, combined with density functional theory, the electronic and transport properties of the sensor were calculated, and compared before and after adsorption of H2S gas, at different bias voltages. The highest sensitivity is achieved at 40 mV bias voltage. In this bias voltage, H2S gas adsorption causes a significant decrease of current, because as a result of charge transfer from the CNT and palladium nanoclusters, to H2S gas, majority carriers (electrons) decrease. The results show that CNT decorated with palladium nanoclusters can be a promising candidate in gas-sensorics.

Plasma deposited polymers as gas sensitive films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radeva, E.; Georgieva, V.; Lazarov, J.; Vergov, L.; Donkov, N.

2012-03-01

The possibility is presented of producing thin plasma polymers with desired properties by using nanofillers. Composite films are synthesized from a mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and detonation nanodiamond particles (DNDs). The chemical structure of the composite consists of DNDs distributed in the polymer matrix. The effect of DNDs on the humidity and ammonia sorptive properties of the polymers obtained is studied by measuring the mass changes as a result of gas sorption by using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The results show that, in view of building a sensing element for measuring humidity, ammonia or other gases, it is possible to maximize the sensor sensitivity to a certain gas by using an appropriate concentration of DNDs in HMDSO. Thus, a high degree of sensor sensitivity, together with short response time and minimum hysteresis, can be achieved. Composites of plasma-polymerized HMDSO with DNDs can be used as gas sensitive layers for the development of quartz resonator sensors.

Ultra-low power operation of self-heated, suspended carbon nanotube gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chikkadi, Kiran; Muoth, Matthias; Maiwald, Verena; Roman, Cosmin; Hierold, Christofer

2013-11-01

We present a suspended carbon nanotube gas sensor that senses NO2 at ambient temperature and recovers from gas exposure at an extremely low power of 2.9 μW by exploiting the self-heating effect for accelerated gas desorption. The recovery time of 10 min is two orders of magnitude faster than non-heated recovery at ambient temperature. This overcomes an important bottleneck for the practical application of carbon nanotube gas sensors. Furthermore, the method is easy to implement in sensor systems and requires no additional components, paving the way for ultra-low power, compact, and highly sensitive gas sensors.

Conductive polymer nanowire gas sensor fabricated by nanoscale soft lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Ning; Jiang, Yang; Qu, Hemi; Duan, Xuexin

2017-12-01

Resistive devices composed of one-dimensional nanostructures are promising candidates for the next generation of gas sensors. However, the large-scale fabrication of nanowires is still challenging, which restricts the commercialization of such devices. Here, we report a highly efficient and facile approach to fabricating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) nanowire chemiresistive gas sensors by nanoscale soft lithography. Well-defined sub-100 nm nanowires are fabricated on silicon substrate, which facilitates device integration. The nanowire chemiresistive gas sensor is demonstrated for NH3 and NO2 detection at room temperature and shows a limit of detection at ppb level, which is compatible with nanoscale PEDOT:PSS gas sensors fabricated with the conventional lithography technique. In comparison with PEDOT:PSS thin-film gas sensors, the nanowire gas sensor exhibits higher sensitivity and a much faster response to gas molecules.

Conductive polymer nanowire gas sensor fabricated by nanoscale soft lithography.

PubMed

Tang, Ning; Jiang, Yang; Qu, Hemi; Duan, Xuexin

2017-12-01

Resistive devices composed of one-dimensional nanostructures are promising candidates for the next generation of gas sensors. However, the large-scale fabrication of nanowires is still challenging, which restricts the commercialization of such devices. Here, we report a highly efficient and facile approach to fabricating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) nanowire chemiresistive gas sensors by nanoscale soft lithography. Well-defined sub-100 nm nanowires are fabricated on silicon substrate, which facilitates device integration. The nanowire chemiresistive gas sensor is demonstrated for NH 3 and NO 2 detection at room temperature and shows a limit of detection at ppb level, which is compatible with nanoscale PEDOT:PSS gas sensors fabricated with the conventional lithography technique. In comparison with PEDOT:PSS thin-film gas sensors, the nanowire gas sensor exhibits higher sensitivity and a much faster response to gas molecules.

Photo-Induced Room-Temperature Gas Sensing with a-IGZO Based Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated on Flexible Plastic Foil.

PubMed

Knobelspies, Stefan; Bierer, Benedikt; Daus, Alwin; Takabayashi, Alain; Salvatore, Giovanni Antonio; Cantarella, Giuseppe; Ortiz Perez, Alvaro; Wöllenstein, Jürgen; Palzer, Stefan; Tröster, Gerhard

2018-01-26

We present a gas sensitive thin-film transistor (TFT) based on an amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (a-IGZO) semiconductor as the sensing layer, which is fabricated on a free-standing flexible polyimide foil. The photo-induced sensor response to NO₂ gas at room temperature and the cross-sensitivity to humidity are investigated. We combine the advantages of a transistor based sensor with flexible electronics technology to demonstrate the first flexible a-IGZO based gas sensitive TFT. Since flexible plastic substrates prohibit the use of high operating temperatures, the charge generation is promoted with the help of UV-light absorption, which ultimately triggers the reversible chemical reaction with the trace gas. Furthermore, the device fabrication process flow can be directly implemented in standard TFT technology, allowing for the parallel integration of the sensor and analog or logical circuits.

Photo-Induced Room-Temperature Gas Sensing with a-IGZO Based Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated on Flexible Plastic Foil

PubMed Central

Bierer, Benedikt; Takabayashi, Alain; Ortiz Perez, Alvaro; Wöllenstein, Jürgen

2018-01-01

We present a gas sensitive thin-film transistor (TFT) based on an amorphous Indium–Gallium–Zinc–Oxide (a-IGZO) semiconductor as the sensing layer, which is fabricated on a free-standing flexible polyimide foil. The photo-induced sensor response to NO2 gas at room temperature and the cross-sensitivity to humidity are investigated. We combine the advantages of a transistor based sensor with flexible electronics technology to demonstrate the first flexible a-IGZO based gas sensitive TFT. Since flexible plastic substrates prohibit the use of high operating temperatures, the charge generation is promoted with the help of UV-light absorption, which ultimately triggers the reversible chemical reaction with the trace gas. Furthermore, the device fabrication process flow can be directly implemented in standard TFT technology, allowing for the parallel integration of the sensor and analog or logical circuits. PMID:29373524

A comparative study on simulation performances of rigid and bendable SAW for gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidek, Fatini; Arsat, Rashidah; Ibrahim, Rafidah; Idris, Aizzat Ayuni Mohad; Johari, Zaharah; Ling, Leow Pei

2017-03-01

Flexible Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices are very promising technology for various applications that offers excellent flexibility, low in cost and light weight. In this paper, a SAW gas sensor is designed and simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics to investigate the degree of bending effect on the frequency and displacement. The investigations were conducted onto SAW gas sensor as rigid and two different bends direction; bend-in (concave) and bend-out (convex). The operating frequency of the SAW sensor were found to be at the range of 80-200 MHz. The frequency shift of the sensor were obtained after exposing the polyisobutylene (PIB) to the dichloromethane DCM gas which will change the density of sensing layer. From the simulation, it is shown that resonance frequency range of 189MHz for the rigid substrate with displacement of 0.706 nm. Notably, the bending degree of h range from 0.2 µm to 1.25 µm exhibits reduction for displacement and frequency. The higher frequency of bend-out (convex) design achieve is 1.8945 MHz with displacement of 0.68 nm at curve of h= 0.2 µm, Improvement have been observed for the frequency shift of 14 Hz and sensitivity of 1324.24. It shows that the sensor is more sensitive to detect the gas. The evaluation of device bending effect on the eigenfrequency, displacement and frequency shift provide ways to enhance the sensitivity of the gas sensor and expand its possibility of realizing their benefit particularly for sensing device enhancement.

Supramolecular fabrication of multilevel graphene-based gas sensors with high NO2 sensibility.

PubMed

Chen, Zhuo; Umar, Ahmad; Wang, Shiwei; Wang, Yao; Tian, Tong; Shang, Ying; Fan, Yuzun; Qi, Qi; Xu, Dongmei; Jiang, Lei

2015-06-14

This study reports the supramolecular assembly of a silver nanoparticle-naphthalene-1-sulphonic acid-reduced graphene oxide composite (Ag-NA-rGO) and its utilization to fabricate a highly sensitive and selective gas sensor. The prepared supramolecular assembly acted not only as a non-covalent functionalization platform (π-π interaction) but was also an excellent scaffold to fabricate a highly sensitive and selective low concentration NO2 gas sensor. The prepared composites were characterized using several techniques, which revealed that the graphene sheets were dispersed as ultrathin monolayers with a uniform distribution of silver nanoparticles. The fabricated multilevel structure exhibited an excellent sensing performance, i.e. 2.8 times better, towards 10 ppm NO2 compared to the NA-rGO and rGO based sensors. Apart from its high sensitivity, superior reversibility and selectivity, the prepared supramolecular assembly exhibited an outstanding linear response over the large concentration range from 1 ppm to 10 ppm. The obtained results demonstrate that the prepared supramolecular assembly holds great potential in the fabrication of efficient and effective low-concentration NO2 gas sensors for practical applications.

Electrodes for Semiconductor Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Lee, Sung Pil

2017-01-01

The electrodes of semiconductor gas sensors are important in characterizing sensors based on their sensitivity, selectivity, reversibility, response time, and long-term stability. The types and materials of electrodes used for semiconductor gas sensors are analyzed. In addition, the effect of interfacial zones and surface states of electrode–semiconductor interfaces on their characteristics is studied. This study describes that the gas interaction mechanism of the electrode–semiconductor interfaces should take into account the interfacial zone, surface states, image force, and tunneling effect. PMID:28346349

A Single Polyaniline Nanofiber Field Effect Transistor and Its Gas Sensing Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Chen, Dajing; Lei, Sheng; Chen, Yuquan

2011-01-01

A single polyaniline nanofiber field effect transistor (FET) gas sensor fabricated by means of electrospinning was investigated to understand its sensing mechanisms and optimize its performance. We studied the morphology, field effect characteristics and gas sensitivity of conductive nanofibers. The fibers showed Schottky and Ohmic contacts based on different electrode materials. Higher applied gate voltage contributes to an increase in gas sensitivity. The nanofiber transistor showed a 7% reversible resistance change to 1 ppm NH3 with 10 V gate voltage. The FET characteristics of the sensor when exposed to different gas concentrations indicate that adsorption of NH3 molecules reduces the carrier mobility in the polyaniline nanofiber. As such, nanofiber-based sensors could be promising for environmental and industrial applications. PMID:22163969

Performance of WPA Conductivity Sensor during Two-Phase Fluid Flow in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, Layne; O'Connor, Edward W.; Snowdon, Doug

2003-01-01

The Conductivity Sensor designed for use in the Node 3 Water Processor Assembly (WPA) was based on the existing Space Shuttle application for the fuel cell water system. However, engineering analysis has determined that this sensor design is potentially sensitive to two-phase fluid flow (gadliquid) in microgravity. The source for this sensitivity is the fact that gas bubbles will become lodged between the sensor probe and the wall of the housing without the aid of buoyancy in l-g. Once gas becomes lodged in the housing, the measured conductivity will be offset based on the volume of occluded gas. A development conductivity sensor was flown on the NASA Microgravity Plan to measure the offset, which was determined to range between 0 and 50%. Based on these findings, a development program was initiated at the sensor s manufacturer to develop a sensor design fully compatible with two-phase fluid flow in microgravity.

Tuning operating point of extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric fiber-optic sensors using microstructured fiber and gas pressure.

PubMed

Tian, Jiajun; Zhang, Qi; Fink, Thomas; Li, Hong; Peng, Wei; Han, Ming

2012-11-15

Intensity-based demodulation of extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric (EFPI) fiber-optic sensors requires the light wavelength to be on the quadrature point of the interferometric fringes for maximum sensitivity. In this Letter, we propose a novel and remote operating-point tuning method for EFPI fiber-optic sensors using microstructured fibers (MFs) and gas pressure. We demonstrated the method using a diaphragm-based EFPI sensor with a microstructured lead-in fiber. The holes in the MF were used as gas channels to remotely control the gas pressure inside the Fabry-Perot cavity. Because of the deformation of the diaphragm with gas pressure, the cavity length and consequently the operating point can be remotely tuned for maximum sensitivity. The proposed operating-point tuning method has the advantage of reduced complexity and cost compared to previously reported methods.

Flexible Transparent Electronic Gas Sensors.

PubMed

Wang, Ting; Guo, Yunlong; Wan, Pengbo; Zhang, Han; Chen, Xiaodong; Sun, Xiaoming

2016-07-01

Flexible and transparent electronic gas sensors capable of real-time, sensitive, and selective analysis at room-temperature, have gained immense popularity in recent years for their potential to be integrated into various smart wearable electronics and display devices. Here, recent advances in flexible transparent sensors constructed from semiconducting oxides, carbon materials, conducting polymers, and their nanocomposites are presented. The sensing material selection, sensor device construction, and sensing mechanism of flexible transparent sensors are discussed in detail. The critical challenges and future development associated with flexible and transparent electronic gas sensors are presented. Smart wearable gas sensors are believed to have great potential in environmental monitoring and noninvasive health monitoring based on disease biomarkers in exhaled gas. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cu-modified carbon spheres/reduced graphene oxide as a high sensitivity of gas sensor for NO2 detection at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Zhibin; Tan, Li; Yang, Ruiqiang; Zhang, Yu; Tao, Jin; Zhang, Nan; Wen, Fusheng

2018-03-01

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) as one of the most serious air pollution is harmful to people's health, therefore high-performance gas sensors is critically needed. Here, Cu-modified carbon spheres/reduced graphene oxide (Cu@CS/RGO) composite have been prepared as NO2 gas sensor material. Carbon sphere in the interlayer of RGO can increase the specific surface area of RGO. Copper nanoparticles decorated on the surface of CS can effectively enhance the adsorption activity of RGO as supplier of free electrons. The experimental results showed that its particular structure improved the gas sensitivity of RGO at different NO2 concentrations at room temperature.

Semiconductor metal oxide compounds based gas sensors: A literature review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patil, Sunil Jagannath; Patil, Arun Vithal; Dighavkar, Chandrakant Govindrao; Thakare, Kashinath Shravan; Borase, Ratan Yadav; Nandre, Sachin Jayaram; Deshpande, Nishad Gopal; Ahire, Rajendra Ramdas

2015-03-01

This paper gives a statistical view about important contributions and advances on semiconductor metal oxide (SMO) compounds based gas sensors developed to detect the air pollutants such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), H2S, NH3, CO2, acetone, ethanol, other volatile compounds and hazardous gases. Moreover, it is revealed that the alloy/composite made up of SMO gas sensors show better gas response than their counterpart single component gas sensors, i.e., they are found to enhance the 4S characteristics namely speed, sensitivity, selectivity and stability. Improvement of such types of sensors used for detection of various air pollutants, which are reported in last two decades, is highlighted herein.

Micromachined Electron-Tunneling Infrared Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, Thomas W.; Kaiser, William J.; Waltman, Stephen B.

1993-01-01

Pneumatic/thermal infrared detectors based partly on Golay-cell concept, but smaller and less fragile. Include containers filled with air or other gas trapped behind diaphragms. Infrared radiation heats sensors, causing gas to expand. Resulting deflections of diaphragms measured by displacement sensors based on principle of electron-tunneling transducers of scanning tunneling microscopes. Exceed sensitivity of all other miniature, uncooled infrared sensors presently available. Expected to include low consumption of power, broadband sensitivity, room-temperature operation, and invulnerability to ionizing radiation.

Nanostructured Tungsten Oxide Composite for High-Performance Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Feng-Chen, Siyuan; Aldalbahi, Ali; Feng, Peter Xianping

2015-01-01

We report the results of composite tungsten oxide nanowires-based gas sensors. The morphologic surface, crystallographic structures, and chemical compositions of the obtained nanowires have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman scattering, respectively. The experimental measurements reveal that each wire consists of crystalline nanoparticles with an average diameter of less than 250 nm. By using the synthesized nanowires, highly sensitive prototypic gas sensors have been designed and fabricated. The dependence of the sensitivity of tungsten oxide nanowires to the methane and hydrogen gases as a function of time has been obtained. Various sensing parameters such as sensitivity, response time, stability, and repeatability were investigated in order to reveal the sensing ability. PMID:26512670

Fabrication of highly sensitive and selective H₂ gas sensor based on SnO₂ thin film sensitized with microsized Pd islands.

PubMed

Nguyen, Van Toan; Nguyen, Viet Chien; Nguyen, Van Duy; Hoang, Si Hong; Hugo, Nguyen; Nguyen, Duc Hoa; Nguyen, Van Hieu

2016-01-15

Ultrasensitive and selective hydrogen gas sensor is vital component in safe use of hydrogen that requires a detection and alarm of leakage. Herein, we fabricated a H2 sensing devices by adopting a simple design of planar-type structure sensor in which the heater, electrode, and sensing layer were patterned on the front side of a silicon wafer. The SnO2 thin film-based sensors that were sensitized with microsized Pd islands were fabricated at a wafer-scale by using a sputtering system combined with micro-electronic techniques. The thicknesses of SnO2 thin film and microsized Pd islands were optimized to maximize the sensing performance of the devices. The optimized sensor could be used for monitoring hydrogen gas at low concentrations of 25-250 ppm, with a linear dependence to H2 concentration and a fast response and recovery time. The sensor also showed excellent selectivity for monitoring H2 among other gases, such as CO, NH3, and LPG, and satisfactory characteristics for ensuring safety in handling hydrogen. The hydrogen sensing characteristics of the sensors sensitized with Pt and Au islands were also studied to clarify the sensing mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of thin MoO3 films formed by RF and DC-magnetron reactive sputtering for gas sensor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yordanov, R.; Boyadjiev, S.; Georgieva, V.; Vergov, L.

2014-05-01

The present work discusses a technology for deposition and characterization of thin molybdenum oxide (MoOx, MoO3) films studied for gas sensor applications. The samples were produced by reactive radio-frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering. The composition and microstructure of the films were studied by XPS, XRD and Raman spectroscopy, the morphology, using high resolution SEM. The research was focused on the sensing properties of the sputtered thin MoO3 films. Highly sensitive gas sensors were implemented by depositing films of various thicknesses on quartz resonators. Making use of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method, these sensors were capable of detecting changes in the molecular range. Prototype QCM structures with thin MoO3 films were tested for sensitivity to NH3 and NO2. Even in as-deposited state and without heating the substrates, these films showed good sensitivity. Moreover, no additional thermal treatment is necessary, which makes the production of such QCM gas sensors simple and cost-effective, as it is fully compatible with the technology for producing the initial resonator. The films are sensitive at room temperature and can register concentrations as low as 50 ppm. The sorption is fully reversible, the films are stable and capable of long-term measurements.

Highly sensitive SnO2 sensor via reactive laser-induced transfer

PubMed Central

Palla Papavlu, Alexandra; Mattle, Thomas; Temmel, Sandra; Lehmann, Ulrike; Hintennach, Andreas; Grisel, Alain; Wokaun, Alexander; Lippert, Thomas

2016-01-01

Gas sensors based on tin oxide (SnO2) and palladium doped SnO2 (Pd:SnO2) active materials are fabricated by a laser printing method, i.e. reactive laser-induced forward transfer (rLIFT). Thin films from tin based metal-complex precursors are prepared by spin coating and then laser transferred with high resolution onto sensor structures. The devices fabricated by rLIFT exhibit low ppm sensitivity towards ethanol and methane as well as good stability with respect to air, moisture, and time. Promising results are obtained by applying rLIFT to transfer metal-complex precursors onto uncoated commercial gas sensors. We could show that rLIFT onto commercial sensors is possible if the sensor structures are reinforced prior to printing. The rLIFT fabricated sensors show up to 4 times higher sensitivities then the commercial sensors (with inkjet printed SnO2). In addition, the selectivity towards CH4 of the Pd:SnO2 sensors is significantly enhanced compared to the pure SnO2 sensors. Our results indicate that the reactive laser transfer technique applied here represents an important technical step for the realization of improved gas detection systems with wide-ranging applications in environmental and health monitoring control. PMID:27118531

Photoactivated Mixed In-Plane and Edge-Enriched p-Type MoS2 Flake-Based NO2 Sensor Working at Room Temperature.

PubMed

Agrawal, Abhay V; Kumar, Rahul; Venkatesan, Swaminathan; Zakhidov, Alex; Yang, Guang; Bao, Jiming; Kumar, Mahesh; Kumar, Mukesh

2018-05-25

Toxic gases are produced during the burning of fossil fuels. Room temperature (RT) fast detection of toxic gases is still challenging. Recently, MoS 2 transition metal dichalcogenides have sparked great attention in the research community due to their performance in gas sensing applications. However, MoS 2 based gas sensors still suffer from long response and recovery times, especially at RT. Considering this challenge, here, we report photoactivated highly reversible and fast detection of NO 2 sensors at room temperature (RT) by using mixed in-plane and edge-enriched p-MoS 2 flakes (mixed MoS 2 ). The sensor showed fast response with good sensitivity of ∼10.36% for 10 ppm of NO 2 at RT without complete recovery. However, complete recovery was obtained with better sensor performance under UV light illumination at RT. The UV assisted NO 2 sensing showed improved performance in terms of fast response and recovery kinetics with enhanced sensitivity to 10 ppm NO 2 concentration. The sensor performance is also investigated under thermal energy, and a better sensor performance with reduced sensitivity and high selectivity toward NO 2 was observed. A detailed gas sensing mechanism based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculations for favorable NO 2 adsorption sites on in-plane and edge-enriched MoS 2 flakes is proposed. This study revealed the role of favorable adsorption sites in MoS 2 flakes for the enhanced interaction of target gases and developed a highly sensitive, reversible, and fast gas sensor for next-generation toxic gases at room temperature.

Highly Sensitive and Selective Gas Sensor Using Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Graphenes

PubMed Central

Some, Surajit; Xu, Yang; Kim, Youngmin; Yoon, Yeoheung; Qin, Hongyi; Kulkarni, Atul; Kim, Taesung; Lee, Hyoyoung

2013-01-01

New hydrophilic 2D graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets with various oxygen functional groups were employed to maintain high sensitivity in highly unfavorable environments (extremely high humidity, strong acidic or basic). Novel one-headed polymer optical fiber sensor arrays using hydrophilic GO and hydrophobic reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were carefully designed, leading to the selective sensing of volatile organic gases for the first time. The two physically different surfaces of GO and rGO could provide the sensing ability to distinguish between tetrahydrofuran (THF) and dichloromethane (MC), respectively, which is the most challenging issue in the area of gas sensors. The eco-friendly physical properties of GO allowed for faster sensing and higher sensitivity when compared to previous results for rGO even under extreme environments of over 90% humidity, making it the best choice for an environmentally friendly gas sensor. PMID:23736838

Dynamic Control of Adsorption Sensitivity for Photo-EMF-Based Ammonia Gas Sensors Using a Wireless Network

PubMed Central

Vashpanov, Yuriy; Choo, Hyunseung; Kim, Dongsoo Stephen

2011-01-01

This paper proposes an adsorption sensitivity control method that uses a wireless network and illumination light intensity in a photo-electromagnetic field (EMF)-based gas sensor for measurements in real time of a wide range of ammonia concentrations. The minimum measurement error for a range of ammonia concentration from 3 to 800 ppm occurs when the gas concentration magnitude corresponds with the optimal intensity of the illumination light. A simulation with LabView-engineered modules for automatic control of a new intelligent computer system was conducted to improve measurement precision over a wide range of gas concentrations. This gas sensor computer system with wireless network technology could be useful in the chemical industry for automatic detection and measurement of hazardous ammonia gas levels in real time. PMID:22346680

Surface Coatings for Gas Detection via Porous Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozdemir, Serdar; Li, Ji-Guang; Gole, James

2009-03-01

Nanopore covered microporous silicon interfaces have been formed via an electrochemical etch for gas sensor applications. Rapid reversible and sensitive gas sensors have been fabricated. The fabricated porous silicon (PS) gas sensors display the advantages of operation at room temperature as well as at a single, readily accessible temperature with an insensitivity to temperature drift; operation in a heat-sunk configuration, ease of coating with gas-selective materials; low cost of fabrication and operation, and the ability to rapidly assess false positives by operating the sensor in a pulsed mode. The PS surface has been modified with unique coatings on the basis of a general theory in order to achieve maximum sensitivity and selectivity. Sensing of NH3, NOx and PH3 at or below the ppm level have been observed. A typical PS nanostructure coated microstructured hybrid configuration when coated with tin oxide (NOx, CO) and gold nanostructures (NH3) provides a greatly increased sensitivity to the indicated gases. Al2O3 coating of the porous silicon using atomic layer deposition and its effect on PH3 sensing has been investigated. 20-100 nm TiO2 nanoparticles have been produced using sol-gel methods to coat PS surfaces and the effects on the selectivity and the sensitivity have been studied.

Diaphragm-Free Fiber-Optic Fabry-Perot Interferometric Gas Pressure Sensor for High Temperature Application.

PubMed

Liang, Hao; Jia, Pinggang; Liu, Jia; Fang, Guocheng; Li, Zhe; Hong, Yingping; Liang, Ting; Xiong, Jijun

2018-03-28

A diaphragm-free fiber-optic Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometric gas pressure sensor is designed and experimentally verified in this paper. The FP cavity was fabricated by inserting a well-cut fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and hollow silica tube (HST) from both sides into a silica casing. The FP cavity length between the ends of the SMF and HST changes with the gas density. Using temperature decoupling method to improve the accuracy of the pressure sensor in high temperature environments. An experimental system for measuring the pressure under different temperatures was established to verify the performance of the sensor. The pressure sensitivity of the FP gas pressure sensor is 4.28 nm/MPa with a high linear pressure response over the range of 0.1-0.7 MPa, and the temperature sensitivity is 14.8 pm/°C under the range of 20-800 °C. The sensor has less than 1.5% non-linearity at different temperatures by using temperature decoupling method. The simple fabrication and low-cost will help sensor to maintain the excellent features required by pressure measurement in high temperature applications.

Characterization of the gas sensors based on polymer-coated resonant microcantilevers for the detection of volatile organic compounds.

PubMed

Dong, Ying; Gao, Wei; Zhou, Qin; Zheng, Yi; You, Zheng

2010-06-25

The gas sensors based on polymer-coated resonant microcantilevers for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection are investigated. A method to characterize the gas sensors through sensor calibration is proposed. The expressions for the estimation of the characteristic parameters are derived. The effect of the polymer coating location on the sensor's sensitivity is investigated and the formula to calculate the polymer-analyte partition coefficient without knowing the polymer coating features is presented for the first time. Three polymers: polyethyleneoxide (PEO), polyethylenevinylacetate (PEVA) and polyvinylalcohol (PVA) are used to perform the experiments. Six organic solvents: toluene, benzene, ethanol, acetone, hexane and octane are used as analytes. The response time, reversibility, hydrophilicity, sensitivity and selectivity of the polymer layers are discussed. According to the results, highly sensitive sensors for each of the analytes are proposed. Based on the characterization method, a convenient and flexible way to the construction of electric nose system by the polymer-coated resonant microcantilevers can be achieved. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design and Development of a Salbutamol Intake Detector for Low Respiratory Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vui Hin, Tsen; Ilyani Ramli, Nur

2017-08-01

This paper proposed a new salbutamol intake detector design using asthma spacer and gas sensor. The device enable real time monitoring of propellant level inhaled by the infant which will decrease the recovery time of the asthma attack. Microcontroller Arduino UNO is program to control the input and output of the system. MQ6 gas sensor detecting the propellant Hydrofluoroalkane from the metered dose inhaler (MDI) canister and demonstrated the level of propellant inhaled on the LCD in real time. MQ6 gas sensor suitable used to detect concentration of propellant inside the asthma spacer due to it is low sensitive to natural gas where include the carbon dioxide exhaled by the infant. Besides this, MQ6 gas sensor also highly sensitive to propane and the preview aerosol inventor mentioned propane as propellant which used for MDI to push the salbutamol out from MDI canister. Therefore, MQ6 gas sensor is suitable to detect propellant inside asthma spacer. The output voltage of MQ6 in initial state where no propellant inside asthma spacer is between 0.55V and 0.65V. Furthermore, when the MDI canister is been pressed, the concentration of propellant is increased and the output voltage of MQ6 gas sensor also increased in ranged between 1.1V and 1.2V.

The Assessment for Sensitivity of a NO2 Gas Sensor with ZnGa2O4/ZnO Core-Shell Nanowires—a Novel Approach

PubMed Central

Chen, I-Cherng; Lin, Shiu-Shiung; Lin, Tsao-Jen; Hsu, Cheng-Liang; Hsueh, Ting Jen; Shieh, Tien-Yu

2010-01-01

The application of novel core-shell nanowires composed of ZnGa2O4/ZnO to improve the sensitivity of NO2 gas sensors is demonstrated in this study. The growth of ZnGa2O4/ZnO core-shell nanowires is performed by reactive evaporation on patterned ZnO:Ga/SiO2/Si templates at 600 °C. This is to form the homogeneous structure of the sensors investigated in this report to assess their sensitivity in terms of NO2 detection. These novel NO2 gas sensors were evaluated at working temperatures of 25 °C and at 250 °C, respectively. The result reveals the ZnGa2O4/ZnO core-shell nanowires present a good linear relationship (R2 > 0.99) between sensitivity and NO2 concentration at both working temperatures. These core-shell nanowire sensors also possess the highest response (<90 s) and recovery (<120 s) values with greater repeatability seen for NO2 sensors at room temperature, unlike traditional sensors that only work effectively at much higher temperatures. The data in this study indicates the newly-developed ZnGa2O4/ZnO core-shell nanowire based sensors are highly promising for industrial applications. PMID:22319286

Metal oxide gas sensors on the nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plecenik, A.; Haidry, A. A.; Plecenik, T.; Durina, P.; Truchly, M.; Mosko, M.; Grancic, B.; Gregor, M.; Roch, T.; Satrapinskyy, L.; Moskova, A.; Mikula, M.; Kus, P.

2014-06-01

Low cost, low power and highly sensitive gas sensors operating at room temperature are very important devices for controlled hydrogen gas production and storage. One of the disadvantages of chemosensors is their high operating temperature (usually 200 - 400 °C), which excludes such type of sensors from usage in explosive environment. In this report, a new concept of gas chemosensors operating at room temperature based on TiO2 thin films is discussed. Integration of such sensor is fully compatible with sub-100 nm semiconductor technology and could be transferred directly from labor to commercial sphere.

Metal Oxide Nanostructures and Their Gas Sensing Properties: A Review

PubMed Central

Sun, Yu-Feng; Liu, Shao-Bo; Meng, Fan-Li; Liu, Jin-Yun; Jin, Zhen; Kong, Ling-Tao; Liu, Jin-Huai

2012-01-01

Metal oxide gas sensors are predominant solid-state gas detecting devices for domestic, commercial and industrial applications, which have many advantages such as low cost, easy production, and compact size. However, the performance of such sensors is significantly influenced by the morphology and structure of sensing materials, resulting in a great obstacle for gas sensors based on bulk materials or dense films to achieve highly-sensitive properties. Lots of metal oxide nanostructures have been developed to improve the gas sensing properties such as sensitivity, selectivity, response speed, and so on. Here, we provide a brief overview of metal oxide nanostructures and their gas sensing properties from the aspects of particle size, morphology and doping. When the particle size of metal oxide is close to or less than double thickness of the space-charge layer, the sensitivity of the sensor will increase remarkably, which would be called “small size effect”, yet small size of metal oxide nanoparticles will be compactly sintered together during the film coating process which is disadvantage for gas diffusion in them. In view of those reasons, nanostructures with many kinds of shapes such as porous nanotubes, porous nanospheres and so on have been investigated, that not only possessed large surface area and relatively mass reactive sites, but also formed relatively loose film structures which is an advantage for gas diffusion. Besides, doping is also an effective method to decrease particle size and improve gas sensing properties. Therefore, the gas sensing properties of metal oxide nanostructures assembled by nanoparticles are reviewed in this article. The effect of doping is also summarized and finally the perspectives of metal oxide gas sensor are given. PMID:22736968

Metal oxide nanostructures and their gas sensing properties: a review.

PubMed

Sun, Yu-Feng; Liu, Shao-Bo; Meng, Fan-Li; Liu, Jin-Yun; Jin, Zhen; Kong, Ling-Tao; Liu, Jin-Huai

2012-01-01

Metal oxide gas sensors are predominant solid-state gas detecting devices for domestic, commercial and industrial applications, which have many advantages such as low cost, easy production, and compact size. However, the performance of such sensors is significantly influenced by the morphology and structure of sensing materials, resulting in a great obstacle for gas sensors based on bulk materials or dense films to achieve highly-sensitive properties. Lots of metal oxide nanostructures have been developed to improve the gas sensing properties such as sensitivity, selectivity, response speed, and so on. Here, we provide a brief overview of metal oxide nanostructures and their gas sensing properties from the aspects of particle size, morphology and doping. When the particle size of metal oxide is close to or less than double thickness of the space-charge layer, the sensitivity of the sensor will increase remarkably, which would be called "small size effect", yet small size of metal oxide nanoparticles will be compactly sintered together during the film coating process which is disadvantage for gas diffusion in them. In view of those reasons, nanostructures with many kinds of shapes such as porous nanotubes, porous nanospheres and so on have been investigated, that not only possessed large surface area and relatively mass reactive sites, but also formed relatively loose film structures which is an advantage for gas diffusion. Besides, doping is also an effective method to decrease particle size and improve gas sensing properties. Therefore, the gas sensing properties of metal oxide nanostructures assembled by nanoparticles are reviewed in this article. The effect of doping is also summarized and finally the perspectives of metal oxide gas sensor are given.

Compact Laser Multi-gas Spectral Sensors for Spacecraft Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tittel, Frank K.

1997-01-01

The objective of this research effort has been the development of a new gas sensor technology to meet NASA requirements for spacecraft and space station human life support systems for sensitive selective and real time detection of trace gas species in the mid-infrared spectral region.

Optical fiber evanescent absorption sensors for high-temperature gas sensing in advanced coal-fired power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buric, Michael P.; Ohodnicky, Paul R.; Duy, Janice

2012-10-01

Modern advanced energy systems such as coal-fired power plants, gasifiers, or similar infrastructure present some of the most challenging harsh environments for sensors. The power industry would benefit from new, ultra-high temperature devices capable of surviving in hot and corrosive environments for embedded sensing at the highest value locations. For these applications, we are currently exploring optical fiber evanescent wave absorption spectroscopy (EWAS) based sensors consisting of high temperature core materials integrated with novel high temperature gas sensitive cladding materials. Mathematical simulations can be used to assist in sensor development efforts, and we describe a simulation code that assumes a single thick cladding layer with gas sensitive optical constants. Recent work has demonstrated that Au nanoparticle-incorporated metal oxides show a potentially useful response for high temperature optical gas sensing applications through the sensitivity of the localized surface plasmon resonance absorption peak to ambient atmospheric conditions. Hence, the simulation code has been applied to understand how such a response can be exploited in an optical fiber based EWAS sensor configuration. We demonstrate that interrogation can be used to optimize the sensing response in such materials.

Investigation of Gas-Sensing Property of Acid-Deposited Polyaniline Thin-Film Sensors for Detecting H2S and SO2

PubMed Central

Dong, Xingchen; Zhang, Xiaoxing; Wu, Xiaoqing; Cui, Hao; Chen, Dachang

2016-01-01

Latent insulation defects introduced in manufacturing process of gas-insulated switchgears can lead to partial discharge during long-time operation, even to insulation fault if partial discharge develops further. Monitoring of decomposed components of SF6, insulating medium of gas-insulated switchgear, is a feasible method of early-warning to avoid the occurrence of sudden fault. Polyaniline thin-film with protonic acid deposited possesses wide application prospects in the gas-sensing field. Polyaniline thin-film sensors with only sulfosalicylic acid deposited and with both hydrochloric acid and sulfosalicylic acid deposited were prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization method. Gas-sensing experiment was carried out to test properties of new sensors when exposed to H2S and SO2, two decomposed products of SF6 under discharge. The gas-sensing properties of these two sensors were compared with that of a hydrochloric acid deposited sensor. Results show that the hydrochloric acid and sulfosalicylic acid deposited polyaniline thin-film sensor shows the most outstanding sensitivity and selectivity to H2S and SO2 when concentration of gases range from 10 to 100 μL/L, with sensitivity changing linearly with concentration of gases. The sensor also possesses excellent long-time and thermal stability. This research lays the foundation for preparing practical gas-sensing devices to detect H2S and SO2 in gas-insulated switchgears at room temperature. PMID:27834895

A patterned ZnO nanorod array/gas sensor fabricated by mechanoelectrospinning-assisted selective growth.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaomei; Sun, Fazhe; Huang, Yongan; Duan, Yongqing; Yin, Zhouping

2015-02-21

Micropatterned ZnO nanorod arrays were fabricated by the mechanoelectrospinning-assisted direct-writing process and the hydrothermal growth process, and utilized as gas sensors that exhibited excellent Ohmic behavior and sensitivity response to oxidizing gas NO2 at low concentrations (1-100 ppm).

Novel Gas Sensor Arrays Based on High-Q SAM-Modified Piezotransduced Single-Crystal Silicon Bulk Acoustic Resonators

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yuan; Yang, Qingrui; Chang, Ye; Pang, Wei; Zhang, Hao; Duan, Xuexin

2017-01-01

This paper demonstrates a novel micro-size (120 μm × 200 μm) piezoelectric gas sensor based on a piezotransduced single-crystal silicon bulk acoustic resonator (PSBAR). The PSBARs operate at 102 MHz and possess high Q values (about 2000), ensuring the stability of the measurement. A corresponding gas sensor array is fabricated by integrating three different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) modified PSBARs. The limit of detection (LOD) for ethanol vapor is demonstrated to be as low as 25 ppm with a sensitivity of about 1.5 Hz/ppm. Two sets of identification code bars based on the sensitivities and the adsorption energy constants are utilized to successfully discriminate isopropanol (IPA), ethanol, hexane and heptane vapors at low and high gas partial pressures, respectively. The proposed sensor array shows the potential to form a portable electronic nose system for volatile organic compound (VOC) differentiation. PMID:28672852

Novel Gas Sensor Arrays Based on High-Q SAM-Modified Piezotransduced Single-Crystal Silicon Bulk Acoustic Resonators.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuan; Yang, Qingrui; Chang, Ye; Pang, Wei; Zhang, Hao; Duan, Xuexin

2017-06-26

This paper demonstrates a novel micro-size (120 μm × 200 μm) piezoelectric gas sensor based on a piezotransduced single-crystal silicon bulk acoustic resonator (PSBAR). The PSBARs operate at 102 MHz and possess high Q values (about 2000), ensuring the stability of the measurement. A corresponding gas sensor array is fabricated by integrating three different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) modified PSBARs. The limit of detection (LOD) for ethanol vapor is demonstrated to be as low as 25 ppm with a sensitivity of about 1.5 Hz/ppm. Two sets of identification code bars based on the sensitivities and the adsorption energy constants are utilized to successfully discriminate isopropanol (IPA), ethanol, hexane and heptane vapors at low and high gas partial pressures, respectively. The proposed sensor array shows the potential to form a portable electronic nose system for volatile organic compound (VOC) differentiation.

Semiconductor Ceramic Mn0.5Fe1.5O3-Fe2O3 from Natural Minerals as Ethanol Gas Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aliah, H.; Syarif, D. G.; Iman, R. N.; Sawitri, A.; Sanjaya WS, M.; Nurul Subkhi, M.; Pitriana, P.

2018-05-01

In this research, Mn and Fe-based ceramic gas sensing were fabricated and characterized. This research used natural mineral which is widely available in Indonesia and intended to observe the characteristics of Mn and Fe-based semiconducting material. Fabricating process of the thick films started by synthesizing the ceramic powder of Fe(OH)3 and Mn oxide material using the precipitation method. The deposition from precipitation method previously was calcined at a temperature of 800 °C to produce nanoparticle powder. Nanoparticle powder that contains Mn and Fe oxide was mixed with an organic vehicle (OV) to produce a paste. Then, the paste was layered on the alumina substrate by using the screen printing method. XRD method was utilized to characterize the thick film crystal structure that has been produced. XRD spectra showed that the ceramic layer was formed from the solid Mn0.5Fe1.5O3 (bixbyite) and Fe2O3. In addition, the electrical properties (resistance) examination was held in the room that contains air and ethanol to determine the sensor sensitivity of ethanol gas. The sensor resistance decreases as the ethanol gas was added, showing that the sensor was sensitive to ethanol gas and an n-type semiconductor. Gas sensor exhibit sensitive characterization of ethanol gas on the concentration of (100 to 300) ppm at a temperature of (150 to 200) °C. This showed that the Mn0.5Fe1.5O3-Fe2O3 ceramic semiconductor could be utilized as the ethanol gas detector.

Gamma ray irradiated AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles with enhanced gas sensor properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Xiuhua, E-mail: xhwang@mail.ahnu.edu.cn; Shi, Zhijie; Yao, Shangwu

2014-11-15

AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and irradiated by various doses of gamma ray. The products were characterized with X-ray powder diffraction, UV–vis absorption spectrum and transmission electron microscope. The results revealed that the crystal structure, morphology and size of the samples remained unchanged after irradiation, while the intensity of UV–Vis spectra increased with irradiation dose increasing. In addition, gamma ray irradiation improved the performance of gas sensor based on the AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles including the optimum operating temperature and sensitivity, which might be ascribed to the generation of defects. - Graphical abstract: Gamma ray irradiationmore » improved the performance of gas sensor based on the AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles including sensitivity and optimum operating temperature, which might be ascribed to the generation of defects. - Highlights: • AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized and irradiated with gamma ray. • AgFeO{sub 2} nanoparticles were employed to fabricate gas sensors to detect ethanol. • Gamma ray irradiation improved the sensitivity and optimum operating temperature.« less

QCM operating in threshold mode as a gas sensor.

PubMed

Dultsev, Fedor N; Kolosovsky, Eugeny A

2009-10-20

Application of the threshold mode allowed us to use the quartz resonator (quartz crystal microbalance, QCM) as a highly sensitive gas sensor measuring the forces of the rupture of adsorbed gas components from the resonator surface oscillating with increasing amplitude. This procedure allows one to analyze different gas components using the same surface modification, just varying the rupture threshold by varying the amplitude of shear oscillations. The sensitivity of the threshold measurements is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than for the gravimetric procedure. It is demonstrated that the QCM operating as an active element can be used as a gas sensor. This procedure seems to be promising in investigating the reactivity of the surface or the interactions of gaseous components with the surface containing various functional groups, thus contributing to the surface chemistry.

Development of optical MEMS CO2 sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeal, Mark P.; Moelders, Nicholas; Pralle, Martin U.; Puscasu, Irina; Last, Lisa; Ho, William; Greenwald, Anton C.; Daly, James T.; Johnson, Edward A.; George, Thomas

2002-09-01

Inexpensive optical MEMS gas and chemical sensors offer chip-level solutions to environmental monitoring, industrial health and safety, indoor air quality, and automobile exhaust emissions monitoring. Previously, Ion Optics, Inc. reported on a new design concept exploiting Si-based suspended micro-bridge structures. The devices are fabricated using conventional CMOS compatible processes. The use of photonic bandgap (PBG) crystals enables narrow band IR emission for high chemical selectivity and sensitivity. Spectral tuning was accomplished by controlling symmetry and lattice spacing of the PBG structures. IR spectroscopic studies were used to characterize transmission, absorption and emission spectra in the 2 to 20 micrometers wavelength range. Prototype designs explored suspension architectures and filament geometries. Device characterization studies measured drive and emission power, temperature uniformity, and black body detectivity. Gas detection was achieved using non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) spectroscopic techniques, whereby target gas species were determined from comparison to referenced spectra. A sensor system employing the emitter/detector sensor-chip with gas cell and reflective optics is demonstrated and CO2 gas sensitivity limits are reported.

Highly selective gas sensor arrays based on thermally reduced graphene oxide.

PubMed

Lipatov, Alexey; Varezhnikov, Alexey; Wilson, Peter; Sysoev, Victor; Kolmakov, Andrei; Sinitskii, Alexander

2013-06-21

The electrical properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have been previously shown to be very sensitive to surface adsorbates, thus making rGO a very promising platform for highly sensitive gas sensors. However, poor selectivity of rGO-based gas sensors remains a major problem for their practical use. In this paper, we address the selectivity problem by employing an array of rGO-based integrated sensors instead of focusing on the performance of a single sensing element. Each rGO-based device in such an array has a unique sensor response due to the irregular structure of rGO films at different levels of organization, ranging from nanoscale to macroscale. The resulting rGO-based gas sensing system could reliably recognize analytes of nearly the same chemical nature. In our experiments rGO-based sensor arrays demonstrated a high selectivity that was sufficient to discriminate between different alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol and isopropanol, at a 100% success rate. We also discuss a possible sensing mechanism that provides the basis for analyte differentiation.

The Evolution of High Temperature Gas Sensors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garzon, F. H.; Brosha, E. L.; Mukundan, R.

2001-01-01

Gas sensor technology based on high temperature solid electrolytes is maturing rapidly. Recent advances in metal oxide catalysis and thin film materials science has enabled the design of new electrochemical sensors. We have demonstrated prototype amperometric oxygen sensors, nernstian potentiometric oxygen sensors that operate in high sulfur environments, and hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide sensing mixed potentials sensors. Many of these devices exhibit part per million sensitivities, response times on the order of seconds and excellent long-term stability.

Antiresonant reflecting guidance mechanism in hollow-core fiber for gas pressure sensing.

PubMed

Hou, Maoxiang; Zhu, Feng; Wang, Ying; Wang, Yiping; Liao, Changrui; Liu, Shen; Lu, Peixiang

2016-11-28

A gas pressure sensor based on an antiresonant reflecting guidance mechanism in a hollow-core fiber (HCF) with an open microchannel is experimentally demonstrated for gas pressure sensing. The microchannel was created on the ring cladding of the HCF by femtosecond laser drilling to provide an air-core pressure equivalent to the external environment. The HCF cladding functions as an antiresonant reflecting waveguide, which induces sharp periodic lossy dips in the transmission spectrum. The proposed sensor exhibits a high pressure sensitivity of 3.592 nm/MPa and a low temperature cross-sensitivity of 7.5 kPa/°C. Theoretical analysis indicates that the observed high gas pressure sensitivity originates from the pressure induced refractive index change of the air in the hollow-core. The good operation durability and fabrication simplicity make the device an attractive candidate for reliable and highly sensitive gas pressure measurement in harsh environments.

All-fiber gas sensor with intracavity photothermal spectroscopy.

PubMed

Zhao, Yan; Jin, Wei; Lin, Yuechuan; Yang, Fan; Ho, Hoi Lut

2018-04-01

We present an all-fiber intracavity photothermal (IC-PT) spectroscopic gas sensor with a hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber (HC-PBF) gas cell. The gas cell is placed inside a fiber-ring laser cavity to achieve higher laser light intensity in the hollow core and hence higher PT modulation signal. An experiment with a 0.62-m-long HC-PBF gas cell demonstrated a noise equivalent concentration of 176 ppb acetylene. Theoretical modeling shows that the IC-PT sensor has the potential of achieving sub-ppb (parts-per-billion) acetylene detection sensitivity.

Reversible Oxygen Gas Sensor Based On Electrochemiluminescence

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lihua; Tsow, Francis

2013-01-01

A novel and robust oxygen gas sensor based on electrochemiluminescence of Ru(bpy)33+/+ ion annihilation in an ionic liquid is presented. Real-time detection of environmental oxygen concentration together with selective, sensitive and reversible performance is demonstrated. PMID:20386795

A novel ethanol gas sensor-ZnS/ cyclohexylamine hybrid nanowires.

PubMed

Xu, Lin; Song, Hongwei; Zhang, Tong; Fan, Huitao; Fan, Libo; Wang, Yu; Dong, Biao; Bai, Xue

2011-03-01

We fabricated a novel ethanol gas sensor based on organic-inorganic ZnS/cyclohexylamine (CHA) nanowires via a solvothermal route. The sensor exhibited significantly better performance with response time of approximately 0.6 s and recovery time of approximately 10 s even under a low ethanol concentration and the high surface area, small nanofiber diameter, and hybrid nature made the ZnS/CHA nanowire gas sensor have high sensitivity to ethanol gas at a lower operating current of 160 mA. Moreover, the gas sensing mechanism was proposed on the basis of the two simultaneous steps to explain the adsorbing process due to the hybrid nature. This work indicates that the ZnS/CHA hybrid can be a novel candidate for the ethanol gas sensor with high performance.

Controlled assembly of organic whispering-gallery-mode microlasers as highly sensitive chemical vapor sensors.

PubMed

Gao, Miaomiao; Wei, Cong; Lin, Xianqing; Liu, Yuan; Hu, Fengqin; Zhao, Yong Sheng

2017-03-09

We demonstrate the fabrication of organic high Q active whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators from π-conjugated polymer by a controlled emulsion-solvent-evaporation method, which can simultaneously provide optical gain and act as an effective resonant cavity. By measuring the shift of their lasing modes on exposure to organic vapor, we successfully monitored the slight concentration variation in the chemical gas. These microlaser sensors demonstrated high detection sensitivity and good signal repeatability under continuous chemical gas treatments. The results offer an effective strategy to design miniaturized optical sensors.

Crystalline mesoporous tungsten oxide nanoplate monoliths synthesized by directed soft template method for highly sensitive NO{sub 2} gas sensor applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoa, Nguyen Duc, E-mail: ndhoa@itims.edu.vn; Duy, Nguyen Van; Hieu, Nguyen Van, E-mail: hieu@itims.edu.vn

2013-02-15

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Mesoporous WO{sub 3} nanoplate monoliths were obtained by direct templating synthesis. ► Enable effective accession of the analytic molecules for the sensor applications. ► The WO{sub 3} sensor exhibited a high performance to NO{sub 2} gas at low temperature. -- Abstract: Controllable synthesis of nanostructured metal oxide semiconductors with nanocrystalline size, porous structure, and large specific surface area is one of the key issues for effective gas sensor applications. In this study, crystalline mesoporous tungsten oxide nanoplate-like monoliths with high specific surface areas were obtained through instant direct-templating synthesis for highly sensitive nitrogen dioxidemore » (NO{sub 2}) sensor applications. The copolymer soft template was converted into a solid carbon framework by heat treatment in an inert gas prior to calcinations in air to sustain the mesoporous structure of tungsten oxide. The multidirectional mesoporous structures of tungsten oxide with small crystalline size, large specific surface area, and superior physical characteristics enabled the rapid and effective accession of analytic gas molecules. As a result, the sensor response was enhanced and the response and recovery times were reduced, in which the mesoporous tungsten oxide based gas sensor exhibited a superior response of 21,155% to 5 ppm NO{sub 2}. In addition, the developed sensor exhibited selective detection of low NO{sub 2} concentration in ammonia and ethanol at a low temperature of approximately 150 °C.« less

Wireless Hydrogen Smart Sensor Based on Pt/Graphene-Immobilized Radio-Frequency Identification Tag.

PubMed

Lee, Jun Seop; Oh, Jungkyun; Jun, Jaemoon; Jang, Jyongsik

2015-08-25

Hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel, is of key importance to various industrial applications, including fuel cells and the aerospace and automotive industries. However, hydrogen gas is odorless, colorless, and highly flammable; thus, appropriate safety protocol implementation and monitoring are essential. Highly sensitive hydrogen-gas leak detection and surveillance systems are needed; additionally, the ability to monitor large areas (e.g., cities) via wireless networks is becoming increasingly important. In this report, we introduce a radio frequency identification (RFID)-based wireless smart-sensor system, composed of a Pt-decorated reduced graphene oxide (Pt_rGO)-immobilized RFID sensor tag and an RFID-reader antenna-connected network analyzer to detect hydrogen gas. The Pt_rGOs, produced using a simple chemical reduction process, were immobilized on an antenna pattern in the sensor tag through spin coating. The resulting Pt_rGO-based RFID sensor tag exhibited a high sensitivity to hydrogen gas at unprecedentedly low concentrations (1 ppm), with wireless communication between the sensor tag and RFID-reader antenna. The wireless sensor tag demonstrated flexibility and a long lifetime due to the strong immobilization of Pt_rGOs on the substrate and battery-independent operation during hydrogen sensing, respectively.

Miniaturized Planar Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Electrochemical Gas Sensor for Rapid Multiple Gas Pollutants Monitoring.

PubMed

Wan, Hao; Yin, Heyu; Lin, Lu; Zeng, Xiangqun; Mason, Andrew J

2018-02-01

The growing impact of airborne pollutants and explosive gases on human health and occupational safety has escalated the demand of sensors to monitor hazardous gases. This paper presents a new miniaturized planar electrochemical gas sensor for rapid measurement of multiple gaseous hazards. The gas sensor features a porous polytetrafluoroethylene substrate that enables fast gas diffusion and room temperature ionic liquid as the electrolyte. Metal sputtering was utilized for platinum electrodes fabrication to enhance adhesion between the electrodes and the substrate. Together with carefully selected electrochemical methods, the miniaturized gas sensor is capable of measuring multiple gases including oxygen, methane, ozone and sulfur dioxide that are important to human health and safety. Compared to its manually-assembled Clark-cell predecessor, this sensor provides better sensitivity, linearity and repeatability, as validated for oxygen monitoring. With solid performance, fast response and miniaturized size, this sensor is promising for deployment in wearable devices for real-time point-of-exposure gas pollutant monitoring.

Photoacoustic Spectroscopy with Quantum Cascade Lasers for Trace Gas Detection

PubMed Central

Elia, Angela; Di Franco, Cinzia; Lugarà, Pietro Mario; Scamarcio, Gaetano

2006-01-01

Various applications, such as pollution monitoring, toxic-gas detection, non invasive medical diagnostics and industrial process control, require sensitive and selective detection of gas traces with concentrations in the parts in 109 (ppb) and sub-ppb range. The recent development of quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) has given a new aspect to infrared laser-based trace gas sensors. In particular, single mode distributed feedback QCLs are attractive spectroscopic sources because of their excellent properties in terms of narrow linewidth, average power and room temperature operation. In combination with these laser sources, photoacoustic spectroscopy offers the advantage of high sensitivity and selectivity, compact sensor platform, fast time-response and user friendly operation. This paper reports recent developments on quantum cascade laser-based photoacoustic spectroscopy for trace gas detection. In particular, different applications of a photoacoustic trace gas sensor employing a longitudinal resonant cell with a detection limit on the order of hundred ppb of ozone and ammonia are discussed. We also report two QC laser-based photoacoustic sensors for the detection of nitric oxide, for environmental pollution monitoring and medical diagnostics, and hexamethyldisilazane, for applications in semiconductor manufacturing process.

Highly Sensitive Bulk Silicon Chemical Sensors with Sub-5 nm Thin Charge Inversion Layers.

PubMed

Fahad, Hossain M; Gupta, Niharika; Han, Rui; Desai, Sujay B; Javey, Ali

2018-03-27

There is an increasing demand for mass-producible, low-power gas sensors in a wide variety of industrial and consumer applications. Here, we report chemical-sensitive field-effect-transistors (CS-FETs) based on bulk silicon wafers, wherein an electrostatically confined sub-5 nm thin charge inversion layer is modulated by chemical exposure to achieve a high-sensitivity gas-sensing platform. Using hydrogen sensing as a "litmus" test, we demonstrate large sensor responses (>1000%) to 0.5% H 2 gas, with fast response (<60 s) and recovery times (<120 s) at room temperature and low power (<50 μW). On the basis of these performance metrics as well as standardized benchmarking, we show that bulk silicon CS-FETs offer similar or better sensing performance compared to emerging nanostructures semiconductors while providing a highly scalable and manufacturable platform.

Scalable fabrication of SnO2 thin films sensitized with CuO islands for enhanced H2S gas sensing performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Toan, Nguyen; Chien, Nguyen Viet; Van Duy, Nguyen; Vuong, Dang Duc; Lam, Nguyen Huu; Hoa, Nguyen Duc; Van Hieu, Nguyen; Chien, Nguyen Duc

2015-01-01

The detection of H2S, an important gaseous molecule that has been recently marked as a highly toxic environmental pollutant, has attracted increasing attention. We fabricate a wafer-scale SnO2 thin film sensitized with CuO islands using microelectronic technology for the improved detection of the highly toxic H2S gas. The SnO2-CuO island sensor exhibits significantly enhanced H2S gas response and reduced operating temperature. The thickness of CuO islands strongly influences H2S sensing characteristics, and the highest H2S gas response is observed with 20 nm-thick CuO islands. The response value (Ra/Rg) of the SnO2-CuO island sensor to 5 ppm H2S is as high as 128 at 200 °C and increases nearly 55-fold compared with that of the bare SnO2 thin film sensor. Meanwhile, the response of the SnO2-CuO island sensor to H2 (250 ppm), NH3 (250 ppm), CO (250 ppm), and LPG (1000 ppm) are low (1.3-2.5). The enhanced gas response and selectivity of the SnO2-CuO island sensor to H2S gas is explained by the sensitizing effect of CuO islands and the extension of electron depletion regions because of the formation of p-n junctions.

Nanostructured Gas Sensors for Health Care: An Overview

PubMed Central

Kaushik, Ajeet; Kumar, Rajesh; Jayant, Rahul Dev; Nair, Madhavan

2015-01-01

Nanostructured platforms have been utilized for fabrication of small, sensitive and reliable gas sensing devices owing to high functionality, enhanced charge transport and electro-catalytic property. As a result of globalization, rapid, sensitive and selective detection of gases in environment is essential for health care and security. Nonmaterial such as metal, metal oxides, organic polymers, and organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposites exhibit interesting optical, electrical, magnetic and molecular properties, and hence are found potential gas sensing materials. Morphological, electrical, and optical properties of such nanostructures can be tailored via controlling the precursor concentration and synthesis conditions resulting to achieve desired sensing. This review presents applications of nano-enabling gas sensors to detect gases for environment monitoring. The recent update, challenges, and future vision for commercial applications of such sensor are also described here. PMID:26491544

High-Performance Wireless Ammonia Gas Sensors Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide and Nano-Silver Ink Hybrid Material Loaded on a Patch Antenna.

PubMed

Wu, Bian; Zhang, Xingfei; Huang, Beiju; Zhao, Yutong; Cheng, Chuantong; Chen, Hongda

2017-09-09

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been studied as a resistive ammonia gas sensor at room temperature. The sensitive hybrid material composed of rGO and nano-silver ink (Ag-ink) was loaded on a microstrip patch antenna to realize high-performance wireless ammonia sensors. The material was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Firstly, interdigital electrodes (IDEs) printed on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by direct printing were employed to measure the variation of resistance of the sensitive material with the ammonia concentration. The results indicated the response of sensor varied from 4.25% to 14.7% under 15-200 ppm ammonia concentrations. Furthermore, the hybrid material was loaded on a microstrip patch antenna fabricated by a conventional printed circuit board (PCB) process, and a 10 MHz frequency shift of the sensor antenna could be observed for 200 ppm ammonia gas. Finally, the wireless sensing property of the sensor antenna was successfully tested using the same emitted antenna outside the gas chamber with a high gain of 5.48 dBi, and an increased reflection magnitude of the emitted antenna due to the frequency mismatch of the sensor antenna was observed. Therefore, wireless ammonia gas sensors loaded on a patch antenna have significant application prospects in the field of Internet of Things (IoTs).

High-Performance Wireless Ammonia Gas Sensors Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide and Nano-Silver Ink Hybrid Material Loaded on a Patch Antenna

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xingfei; Huang, Beiju; Zhao, Yutong; Cheng, Chuantong; Chen, Hongda

2017-01-01

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been studied as a resistive ammonia gas sensor at room temperature. The sensitive hybrid material composed of rGO and nano-silver ink (Ag-ink) was loaded on a microstrip patch antenna to realize high-performance wireless ammonia sensors. The material was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Firstly, interdigital electrodes (IDEs) printed on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by direct printing were employed to measure the variation of resistance of the sensitive material with the ammonia concentration. The results indicated the response of sensor varied from 4.25% to 14.7% under 15–200 ppm ammonia concentrations. Furthermore, the hybrid material was loaded on a microstrip patch antenna fabricated by a conventional printed circuit board (PCB) process, and a 10 MHz frequency shift of the sensor antenna could be observed for 200 ppm ammonia gas. Finally, the wireless sensing property of the sensor antenna was successfully tested using the same emitted antenna outside the gas chamber with a high gain of 5.48 dBi, and an increased reflection magnitude of the emitted antenna due to the frequency mismatch of the sensor antenna was observed. Therefore, wireless ammonia gas sensors loaded on a patch antenna have significant application prospects in the field of Internet of Things (IoTs). PMID:28891928

Smart chemical sensors using ZnO semiconducting thin films for freshness detection of foods and beverages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanto, Hidehito; Kobayashi, Toshiki; Dougami, Naganori; Habara, Masaaki; Yamamoto, Hajime; Kusano, Eiji; Kinbara, Akira; Douguchi, Yoshiteru

1998-07-01

The sensitivity of the chemical sensor, based on the resistance change of Al2O3-doped and SnO2-doped ZnO (ZnO:Al and ZnO:SnO2) thin film, is studied for exposure to various gases. It is found that the ZnO:Al and ZnO:Sn thin film chemical sensor has a high sensitivity and excellent selectivity for amine (TMA and DMA) gas and ethanol gas, respectively. The ZnO:Al (5.0 wt%) thin film chemical sensor which exhibit a high sensitivity for exposure to odors from rotten sea foods, such as salmon, sea bream, oyster, squid and sardine, responds to the freshness change of these sea foods. The ZnO:SnO2 (78 wt%) thin film chemical sensor which exhibit a high sensitivity for exposure to aroma from alcohols, such as wine, Japanese sake, and whisky, responds to the freshness change of these alcohols.

Nanostructured TiO2-based gas sensors with enhanced sensitivity to reducing gases

PubMed Central

Kusior, Anna; Trenczek-Zajac, Anita

2016-01-01

2D TiO2 thin films and 3D flower-like TiO2-based nanostructures, also decorated with SnO2, were prepared by chemical and thermal oxidation of Ti substrates, respectively. The crystal structure, morphology and gas sensing properties of the TiO2-based sensing materials were investigated. 2D TiO2 thin films crystallized mainly in the form of rutile, while the flower-like 3D nanostructures as anatase. The sensor based on the 2D TiO2 showed the best performance for H2 detection, while the flower-like 3D nanostructures exhibited enhanced selectivity to CO(CH3)2 after sensitization by SnO2 nanoparticles. The sensor response time was of the order of several seconds. Their fast response, high sensitivity to selected gas species, improved selectivity and stability suggest that the SnO2-decorated flower-like 3D nanostructures are a promising material for application as an acetone sensor. PMID:28144521

Improved Sensitivity Spontaneous Raman Scattering Multi-Gas Sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buric, Michael P.; Chen, Kevin P.; Falk, Joel

2009-01-01

We report a backward-wave spontaneous-Raman multi-gas sensor employing a hollow-core photonic-bandgap-fiber to contain gasses and increase interaction length. Silica Raman noise and detection speed are reduced using a digital spatial filter and a cladding seal.

Highly sensitive room temperature ammonia gas sensor based on Ir-doped Pt porous ceramic electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenlong; Liu, Yen-Yu; Do, Jing-Shan; Li, Jing

2016-12-01

Room temperature NH3 gas sensors based on Pt and Pt-Ir (Ir doping Pt) porous ceramic electrodes have been fabricated by both electroplating and sputtering methods. The properties of the gaseous ammonia sensors have been examined by polarization and chronoamperometry techniques. The influence of humidity on the features of the resulting sensors in the system has also been discussed, and the working potential was optimized. Water vapors seem to hugely improve the electrochemical activity of the electrode. With increasing the relative humidity, the response of the Pt-Ir(E)/Pt(S)/PCP sensor to NH3 gas could be enhanced remarkably, and the sensitivity increases from 1.14 to 12.06 μA ppm-1 cm-2 .Then we have also discussed the sensing mechanism of the Pt-Ir sensor and the result has been confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the electrode surface before and after reaction in the end.

Surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) flow sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Shrinivas G.

1991-03-01

The use of a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device to measure the rate of gas flow is described. A SAW oscillator heated to a suitable temperature above ambient is placed in the path of a flowing gas. Convective cooling caused by the gas flow results in a change in the oscillator frequency. A 73-MHz oscillator fabricated on 128 deg rotated Y-cut lithium niobate substrate and heated to 55 C above ambient shows a frequency variation greater than 142 kHz for flow-rate variation from 0 to 1000 cu cm/min. The output of the sensor can be calibrated to provide a measurement of volume flow rate, pressure differential across channel ports, or mass flow rate. High sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and direct digital output are among the attractive features of this sensor. Theoretical expressions for the sensitivity and response time of the sensor are derived. It is shown that by using ultrasonic Lamb waves propagating in thin membranes, a flow sensor with faster response than a SAW sensor can be realized.

Surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) flow sensor.

PubMed

Joshi, S G

1991-01-01

The use of a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device to measure the rate of gas flow is described. A SAW oscillator heated to a suitable temperature above ambient is placed in the path of a flowing gas. Convective cooling caused by the gas flow results in a change in the oscillator frequency. A 73-MHz oscillator fabricated on 128 degrees rotated Y-cut lithium niobate substrate and heated to 55 degrees C above ambient shows a frequency variation greater than 142 kHz for flow-rate variation from 0 to 1000 cm(3)/min. The output of the sensor can be calibrated to provide a measurement of volume flow rate, pressure differential across channel ports, or mass flow rate. High sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and direct digital output are among the attractive features of this sensor. Theoretical expressions for the sensitivity and response time of the sensor are derived. It is shown that by using ultrasonic Lamb waves, propagating in thin membranes, a flow sensor with faster response than a SAW sensor can be realized.

Modular Analytical Multicomponent Analysis in Gas Sensor Aarrays

PubMed Central

Chaiyboun, Ali; Traute, Rüdiger; Kiesewetter, Olaf; Ahlers, Simon; Müller, Gerhard; Doll, Theodor

2006-01-01

A multi-sensor system is a chemical sensor system which quantitatively and qualitatively records gases with a combination of cross-sensitive gas sensor arrays and pattern recognition software. This paper addresses the issue of data analysis for identification of gases in a gas sensor array. We introduce a software tool for gas sensor array configuration and simulation. It concerns thereby about a modular software package for the acquisition of data of different sensors. A signal evaluation algorithm referred to as matrix method was used specifically for the software tool. This matrix method computes the gas concentrations from the signals of a sensor array. The software tool was used for the simulation of an array of five sensors to determine gas concentration of CH4, NH3, H2, CO and C2H5OH. The results of the present simulated sensor array indicate that the software tool is capable of the following: (a) identify a gas independently of its concentration; (b) estimate the concentration of the gas, even if the system was not previously exposed to this concentration; (c) tell when a gas concentration exceeds a certain value. A gas sensor data base was build for the configuration of the software. With the data base one can create, generate and manage scenarios and source files for the simulation. With the gas sensor data base and the simulation software an on-line Web-based version was developed, with which the user can configure and simulate sensor arrays on-line.

Method and apparatus for real-time measurement of fuel gas compositions and heating values

DOEpatents

Zelepouga, Serguei; Pratapas, John M.; Saveliev, Alexei V.; Jangale, Vilas V.

2016-03-22

An exemplary embodiment can be an apparatus for real-time, in situ measurement of gas compositions and heating values. The apparatus includes a near infrared sensor for measuring concentrations of hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide, a mid infrared sensor for measuring concentrations of carbon monoxide and a semiconductor based sensor for measuring concentrations of hydrogen gas. A data processor having a computer program for reducing the effects of cross-sensitivities of the sensors to components other than target components of the sensors is also included. Also provided are corresponding or associated methods for real-time, in situ determination of a composition and heating value of a fuel gas.

Tailored Algorithm for Sensitivity Enhancement of Gas Concentration Sensors Based on Tunable Laser Absorption Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Vargas-Rodriguez, Everardo; Guzman-Chavez, Ana Dinora; Baeza-Serrato, Roberto

2018-06-04

In this work, a novel tailored algorithm to enhance the overall sensitivity of gas concentration sensors based on the Direct Absorption Tunable Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (DA-ATLAS) method is presented. By using this algorithm, the sensor sensitivity can be custom-designed to be quasi constant over a much larger dynamic range compared with that obtained by typical methods based on a single statistics feature of the sensor signal output (peak amplitude, area under the curve, mean or RMS). Additionally, it is shown that with our algorithm, an optimal function can be tailored to get a quasi linear relationship between the concentration and some specific statistics features over a wider dynamic range. In order to test the viability of our algorithm, a basic C 2 H 2 sensor based on DA-ATLAS was implemented, and its experimental measurements support the simulated results provided by our algorithm.

A gas-sensing array produced from screen-printed, zeolite-modified chromium titanate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pugh, David C.; Hailes, Stephen M. V.; Parkin, Ivan P.

2015-08-01

Metal oxide semiconducting (MOS) gas sensors represent a cheap, robust and sensitive technology for detecting volatile organic compounds. MOS sensors have consistently been shown to lack sensitivity to a broad range on analytes, leading to false positive errors. In this study an array of five chromium titanate (CTO) thick-film sensors were produced. These were modified by incorporating a range of zeolites, namely β, Y, mordenite and ZSM5, into the bulk sensor material. Sensors were exposed to three common reducing gases, namely acetone, ethanol and toluene, and a machine learning technique was applied to differentiate between the different gases. All sensors produced strong resistive responses (increases in resistance) and a support vector machine (SVM) was able to classify the data to a high degree of selectivity.

A Room Temperature Nitric Oxide Gas Sensor Based on a Copper-Ion-Doped Polyaniline/Tungsten Oxide Nanocomposite

PubMed Central

Wang, Shih-Han; Shen, Chi-Yen; Su, Jian-Ming; Chang, Shiang-Wen

2015-01-01

The parts-per-billion-level nitric oxide (NO) gas sensing capability of a copper-ion-doped polyaniline/tungsten oxide nanocomposite (Cu2+/PANI/WO3) film coated on a Rayleigh surface acoustic wave device was investigated. The sensor developed in this study was sensitive to NO gas at room temperature in dry nitrogen. The surface morphology, dopant distribution, and electric properties were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping, and Hall effect measurements, respectively. The Cu2+/PANI/WO3 film exhibited high NO gas sensitivity and selectivity as well as long-term stability. At 1 ppb of NO, a signal with a frequency shift of 4.3 ppm and a signal-to-noise ratio of 17 was observed. The sensor exhibited distinct selectivity toward NO gas with no substantial response to O2, NH3 and CO2 gases. PMID:25811223

Smart single-chip gas sensor microsystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagleitner, C.; Hierlemann, A.; Lange, D.; Kummer, A.; Kerness, N.; Brand, O.; Baltes, H.

2001-11-01

Research activity in chemical gas sensing is currently directed towards the search for highly selective (bio)chemical layer materials, and to the design of arrays consisting of different partially selective sensors that permit subsequent pattern recognition and multi-component analysis. Simultaneous use of various transduction platforms has been demonstrated, and the rapid development of integrated-circuit technology has facilitated the fabrication of planar chemical sensors and sensors based on three-dimensional microelectromechanical systems. Complementary metal-oxide silicon processes have previously been used to develop gas sensors based on metal oxides and acoustic-wave-based sensor devices. Here we combine several of these developments to fabricate a smart single-chip chemical microsensor system that incorporates three different transducers (mass-sensitive, capacitive and calorimetric), all of which rely on sensitive polymeric layers to detect airborne volatile organic compounds. Full integration of the microelectronic and micromechanical components on one chip permits control and monitoring of the sensor functions, and enables on-chip signal amplification and conditioning that notably improves the overall sensor performance. The circuitry also includes analog-to-digital converters, and an on-chip interface to transmit the data to off-chip recording units. We expect that our approach will provide a basis for the further development and optimization of gas microsystems.

Compact TDLAS based sensor design using interband cascade lasers for mid-IR trace gas sensing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dong, Lei; Tittel, Frank K.; Li, Chunguang

2016-02-25

Two compact TDLAS sensor systems based on different structural optical cores were developed. The two optical cores combine two recent developments, gallium antimonide (GaSb)-based ICL and a compact multipass gas cell (MPGC) with the goal to create compact TDLAS based sensors for the mid-IR gas detection with high detection sensitivity and low power consumption. The sensors achieved minimum detection limits of ~5 ppbv and ~8 ppbv, respectively, for CH 4 and C 2H 6 concentration measurements with a 3.7-W power consumption.

Self-Test Procedures for Gas Sensors Embedded in Microreactor Systems

PubMed Central

Helwig, Andreas; Hackner, Angelika; Zappa, Dario; Sberveglieri, Giorgio

2018-01-01

Metal oxide (MOX) gas sensors sensitively respond to a wide variety of combustible, explosive and poisonous gases. However, due to the lack of a built-in self-test capability, MOX gas sensors have not yet been able to penetrate safety-critical applications. In the present work we report on gas sensing experiments performed on MOX gas sensors embedded in ceramic micro-reaction chambers. With the help of an external micro-pump, such systems can be operated in a periodic manner alternating between flow and no-flow conditions, thus allowing repetitive measurements of the sensor resistances under clean air, R0, and under gas exposure, Rgas, to be obtained, even under field conditions. With these pairs of resistance values, eventual drifts in the sensor baseline resistance can be detected and drift-corrected values of the relative resistance response Resp=(R0−Rgas)/R0 can be determined. Residual poisoning-induced changes in the relative resistance response can be detected by reference to humidity measurements taken with room-temperature-operated capacitive humidity sensors which are insensitive to the poisoning processes operative on heated MOX gas sensors. PMID:29401673

Effect of electrode material and design on sensitivity and selectivity for high temperature impedancemetric NOx sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woo, L Y; Glass, R S; Novak, R F

2009-09-23

Solid-state electrochemical sensors using two different sensing electrode compositions, gold and strontium-doped lanthanum manganite (LSM), were evaluated for gas phase sensing of NO{sub x} (NO and NO{sub 2}) using an impedance-metric technique. An asymmetric cell design utilizing porous YSZ electrolyte exposed both electrodes to the test gas (i.e., no reference gas). Sensitivity to less than 5 ppm NO and response/recovery times (10-90%) less than 10 s were demonstrated. Using an LSM sensing electrode, virtual identical sensitivity towards NO and NO{sub 2} was obtained, indicating that the equilibrium gas concentration was measured by the sensing electrode. In contrast, for cells employingmore » a gold sensing electrode the NO{sub x} sensitivity varied depending on the cell design: increasing the amount of porous YSZ electrolyte on the sensor surface produced higher NO{sub 2} sensitivity compared to NO. In order to achieve comparable sensitivity for both NO and NO{sub 2}, the cell with the LSM sensing electrode required operation at a lower temperature (575 C) than the cell with the gold sensing electrode (650 C). The role of surface reactions are proposed to explain the differences in NO and NO{sub 2} selectivity using the two different electrode materials.« less

Elaboration of ammonia gas sensors based on electrodeposited polypyrrole--cobalt phthalocyanine hybrid films.

PubMed

Patois, Tilia; Sanchez, Jean-Baptiste; Berger, Franck; Fievet, Patrick; Segut, Olivier; Moutarlier, Virginie; Bouvet, Marcel; Lakard, Boris

2013-12-15

The electrochemical incorporation of a sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine (sCoPc) in conducting polypyrrole (PPy) was done, in the presence or absence of LiClO4, in order to use the resulting hybrid material for the sensing of ammonia. After electrochemical deposition, the morphological features and structural properties of polypyrrole/phthalocyanine hybrid films were investigated and compared to those of polypyrrole films. A gas sensor consisting in platinum microelectrodes arrays was fabricated using silicon microtechnologies, and the polypyrrole and polypyrrole/phthalocyanine films were electrochemically deposited on the platinum microelectrodes arrays of this gas sensor. When exposed to ammonia, polymer-based gas sensors exhibited a decrease in conductance due to the electron exchange between ammonia and sensitive polymer-based layer. The characteristics of the gas sensors (response time, response amplitude, reversibility) were studied for ammonia concentrations varying from 1 ppm to 100 ppm. Polypyrrole/phthalocyanine films exhibited a high sensitivity and low detection limit to ammonia as well as a fast and reproducible response at room temperature. The response to ammonia exposition of polypyrrole films was found to be strongly enhanced thanks to the incorporation of the phthalocyanine in the polypyrrole matrix. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CMOS Amperometric ADC With High Sensitivity, Dynamic Range and Power Efficiency for Air Quality Monitoring.

PubMed

Li, Haitao; Boling, C Sam; Mason, Andrew J

2016-08-01

Airborne pollutants are a leading cause of illness and mortality globally. Electrochemical gas sensors show great promise for personal air quality monitoring to address this worldwide health crisis. However, implementing miniaturized arrays of such sensors demands high performance instrumentation circuits that simultaneously meet challenging power, area, sensitivity, noise and dynamic range goals. This paper presents a new multi-channel CMOS amperometric ADC featuring pixel-level architecture for gas sensor arrays. The circuit combines digital modulation of input currents and an incremental Σ∆ ADC to achieve wide dynamic range and high sensitivity with very high power efficiency and compact size. Fabricated in 0.5 [Formula: see text] CMOS, the circuit was measured to have 164 dB cross-scale dynamic range, 100 fA sensitivity while consuming only 241 [Formula: see text] and 0.157 [Formula: see text] active area per channel. Electrochemical experiments with liquid and gas targets demonstrate the circuit's real-time response to a wide range of analyte concentrations.

A physicochemical mechanism of chemical gas sensors using an AC analysis.

PubMed

Moon, Jaehyun; Park, Jin-Ah; Lee, Su-Jae; Lee, Jeong-Ik; Zyung, Taehyong; Shin, Eui-Chol; Lee, Jong-Sook

2013-06-21

Electrical modeling of the chemical gas sensors was successfully applied to TiO2 nanofiber gas sensors by developing an equivalent circuit model where the junction capacitance as well as the resistance can be separated from the comparable stray capacitance. The Schottky junction impedance exhibited a characteristic skewed arc described by a Cole-Davidson function, and the variation of the fit and derived parameters with temperature, bias, and NO2 gas concentration indicated definitely a physicochemical sensing mechanism based on the Pt|TiO2 Schottky junctions against the conventional supposition of the enhanced sensitivity in nanostructured gas sensors with high grain boundary/surface area. Analysis on a model Pt|TiO2|Pt structure also confirmed the characteristic impedance response of TiO2 nanofiber sensors.

Ammonia gas sensors based on poly (3-hexylthiophene)-molybdenum disulfide film transistors.

PubMed

Xie, Tao; Xie, Guangzhong; Su, Yuanjie; Hongfei, Du; Ye, Zongbiao; Jiang, Yadong

2016-02-12

In this work, in order to enhance the recovery performance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) ammonia (NH3) sensors, poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) were combined as sensitive materials. Different sensitive film structures as active layers of OTFTs, i.e., P3HT-MoS2 composite film, P3HT/MoS2 bilayer film and MoS2/P3HT bilayer film were fabricated by spray technology. OTFT gas sensors based on P3HT-MoS2 composite film showed a shorter recovery time than others when the ammonia concentration changed from 4 to 20 ppm. Specifically, x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and UV-visible absorption were employed to explore the interface properties between P3HT and single-layer MoS2. Through the complementary characterization, a mechanism based on charge transfer is proposed to explain the physical originality of these OTFT gas sensors: closer interlayer d-spacing and better π-π stacking of the P3HT chains in composite film have ensured a short recovery time of OTFT gas sensors. Moreover, sensing mechanisms of OTFTs were further studied by comparing the device performance in the presence of nitrogen or dry air as a carrier gas. This work not only strengthens the fundamental understanding of the sensing mechanism, but provides a promising approach to optimizing the OTFT gas sensors.

Effect of Electrode Configuration on Nitric Oxide Gas Sensor Behavior.

PubMed

Cui, Ling; Murray, Erica P

2015-09-23

The influence of electrode configuration on the impedancemetric response of nitric oxide (NO) gas sensors was investigated for solid electrochemical cells [Au/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/Au)]. Fabrication of the sensors was carried out at 1050 °C in order to establish a porous YSZ electrolyte that enabled gas diffusion. Two electrode configurations were studied where Au wire electrodes were either embedded within or wrapped around the YSZ electrolyte. The electrical response of the sensors was collected via impedance spectroscopy under various operating conditions where gas concentrations ranged from 0 to 100 ppm NO and 1%-18% O₂ at temperatures varying from 600 to 700 °C. Gas diffusion appeared to be a rate-limiting mechanism in sensors where the electrode configuration resulted in longer diffusion pathways. The temperature dependence of the NO sensors studied was independent of the electrode configuration. Analysis of the impedance data, along with equivalent circuit modeling indicated the electrode configuration of the sensor effected gas and ionic transport pathways, capacitance behavior, and NO sensitivity.

Porous Silicon Structures as Optical Gas Sensors.

PubMed

Levitsky, Igor A

2015-08-14

We present a short review of recent progress in the field of optical gas sensors based on porous silicon (PSi) and PSi composites, which are separate from PSi optochemical and biological sensors for a liquid medium. Different periodical and nonperiodical PSi photonic structures (bares, modified by functional groups or infiltrated with sensory polymers) are described for gas sensing with an emphasis on the device specificity, sensitivity and stability to the environment. Special attention is paid to multiparametric sensing and sensor array platforms as effective trends for the improvement of analyte classification and quantification. Mechanisms of gas physical and chemical sorption inside PSi mesopores and pores of PSi functional composites are discussed.

Gold-carbon composite thin films for electrochemical gas sensor prepared by reactive plasma sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, A.; Suzuki, Y.; Yoshitake, M.; Ogawa, S.; Nakano, N.

1997-01-01

We have investigated the properties of gold-carbon composite thin films prepared by a plasma sputtering deposition using argon and methane mixture gas. These composite films have an uneven surface in submicron scale or consist of nano-scale particles of gold polycrystalline. Such morphological properties can be controlled by the sputtering voltage and the partial pressure of methane gas. The working electrode of electrochemical gas sensor has needed a stable gas sensitivity and a good gas selectivity. Our composite film is one of the excellent candidates for a thin film working electrode of electrochemical gas sensor. It is described that the output current of sensor is related to the preparation conditions of the thin films and increase linearly as the concentration of PH 3 gas ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 ppm is increasing.

QCM gas sensor characterization of ALD-grown very thin TiO2 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyadjiev, S.; Georgieva, V.; Vergov, L.; Szilágyi, I. M.

2018-03-01

The paper presents a technology for preparation and characterization of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films suitable for gas sensor applications. Applying atomic layer deposition (ALD), very thin TiO2 films were deposited on quartz resonators, and their gas sensing properties were studied using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. The TiO2 thin films were grown using Ti(iOPr)4 and water as precursors. The surface of the films was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) used for a composition study. The research was focused on the gas-sensing properties of the films. Films of 10-nm thickness were deposited on quartz resonators with Au electrodes and the QCMs were used to build highly sensitive gas sensors, which were tested for detecting NO2. Although very thin, these ALD-grown TiO2 films were sensitive to NO2 already at room temperature and could register as low concentrations as 50 ppm, while the sorption was fully reversible, and the sensors could be fully recovered. With the technology presented, the manufacturing of gas sensors is simple, fast and cost-effective, and suitable for energy-effective portable equipment for real-time environmental monitoring of NO2.

Ultrafast and Ultrasensitive Gas Sensors Derived from a Large Fermi-Level Shift in the Schottky Junction with Sieve-Layer Modulation.

PubMed

Cheng, Ching-Cheng; Wu, Chia-Lin; Liao, Yu-Ming; Chen, Yang-Fang

2016-07-13

Gas sensors play an important role in numerous fields, covering a wide range of applications, including intelligent systems and detection of harmful and toxic gases. Even though they have attracted much attention, the response time on the order of seconds to minutes is still very slow. To circumvent the existing problems, here, we provide a seminal attempt with the integration of graphene, semiconductor, and an addition sieve layer forming a nanocomposite gas sensor with ultrahigh sensitivity and ultrafast response. The designed sieve layer has a suitable band structure that can serve as a blocking layer to prevent transfer of the charges induced by adsorbed gas molecules into the underlying semiconductor layer. We found that the sensitivity can be reduced to the parts per million level, and the ultrafast response of around 60 ms is unprecedented compared with published graphene-based gas sensors. The achieved high performance can be interpreted well by the large change of the Fermi level of graphene due to its inherent nature of the low density of states and blocking of the sieve layer to prevent charge transfer from graphene to the underlying semiconductor layer. Accordingly, our work is very useful and timely for the development of gas sensors with high performance for practical applications.

Enhancement of methane gas sensing characteristics of graphene oxide sensor by heat treatment and laser irradiation.

PubMed

Assar, Mohammadreza; Karimzadeh, Rouhollah

2016-12-01

The present study uses a rapid, easy and practical method for cost-effective fabrication of a methane gas sensor. The sensor was made by drop-casting a graphene oxide suspension onto an interdigital circuit surface. The electrical conductivity and gas-sensing characteristics of the sensor were determined and then heat treatment and in situ laser irradiation were applied to improve the device conductivity and gas sensitivity. Real-time monitoring of the evolution of the device current as a function of heat treatment time revealed significant changes in the conductance of the graphene oxide sensor. The use of low power laser irradiation enhanced both the electrical conductivity and sensing response of the graphene oxide sensor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative Study of Two Different TiO2 Film Sensors on Response to H2 under UV Light and Room Temperature

PubMed Central

Peng, Xiaoying; Wang, Zhongming; Huang, Pan; Chen, Xun; Fu, Xianzhi; Dai, Wenxin

2016-01-01

An anatase TiO2 film sensor was prepared by a facile in-situ method on the interdigitated Au electrode deposited on the alumina substrate. The structure, morphology and the optical properties of the in-situ TiO2 film sensor were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The photo-assisted gas sensitivities of the prepared film towards H2 gas were evaluated at room temperature in N2 and synthetic air atmospheres. As compared to TiO2 film sensor prepared by drop-coating method, this in-situ TiO2 film sensor exhibited a more compact structure composed of uniform TiO2 microspheres as well as a better gas sensitivity towards H2 under UV irradiation, especially in synthetic air. The photo-electrochemical measurements suggest that these improvements may be associated with the efficient charge transfer in the TiO2 interface induced by the TiO2 microsphere structure. This study might offer a feasible approach to develop photo-assisted gas sensors at ambient temperature. PMID:27509502

Highly efficient evaluation of a gas mixer using a hollow waveguide based laser spectral sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Z.; Yang, X.; Li, J.; Yang, Y.; Qiao, C.

2017-05-01

This paper aims to provide a fast, sensitive, and accurate characterization of a Mass Flow Controller (MFC) based gas mixer. The gas mixer was evaluated by using a hollow waveguide based laser spectral sensor with high efficiency. Benefiting from the sensor's fast response, high sensitivity and continuous operation, multiple key parameters of the mixer, including mixing uncertainty, linearity, and response time, were acquired by a one-round test. The test results show that the mixer can blend multi-compound gases quite efficiently with an uncertainty of 1.44% occurring at a flow rate of 500 ml/min, with the linearity of 0.998 43 and the response time of 92.6 s. The results' reliability was confirmed by the relative measurement of gas concentration, in which the isolation of the sensor's uncertainty was conducted. The measured uncertainty has shown well coincidence with the theoretical uncertainties of the mixer, which proves the method to be a reliable characterization. Consequently, this sort of laser based characterization's wide appliance on gas analyzer's evaluations is demonstrated.

Highly efficient evaluation of a gas mixer using a hollow waveguide based laser spectral sensor.

PubMed

Du, Z; Yang, X; Li, J; Yang, Y; Qiao, C

2017-05-01

This paper aims to provide a fast, sensitive, and accurate characterization of a Mass Flow Controller (MFC) based gas mixer. The gas mixer was evaluated by using a hollow waveguide based laser spectral sensor with high efficiency. Benefiting from the sensor's fast response, high sensitivity and continuous operation, multiple key parameters of the mixer, including mixing uncertainty, linearity, and response time, were acquired by a one-round test. The test results show that the mixer can blend multi-compound gases quite efficiently with an uncertainty of 1.44% occurring at a flow rate of 500 ml/min, with the linearity of 0.998 43 and the response time of 92.6 s. The results' reliability was confirmed by the relative measurement of gas concentration, in which the isolation of the sensor's uncertainty was conducted. The measured uncertainty has shown well coincidence with the theoretical uncertainties of the mixer, which proves the method to be a reliable characterization. Consequently, this sort of laser based characterization's wide appliance on gas analyzer's evaluations is demonstrated.

All-in-one: a versatile gas sensor based on fiber enhanced Raman spectroscopy for monitoring postharvest fruit conservation and ripening.

PubMed

Jochum, Tobias; Rahal, Leila; Suckert, Renè J; Popp, Jürgen; Frosch, Torsten

2016-03-21

In today's fruit conservation rooms the ripening of harvested fruit is delayed by precise management of the interior oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. Ethylene (C2H4), a natural plant hormone, is commonly used to trigger fruit ripening shortly before entering the market. Monitoring of these critical process gases, also of the increasingly favored cooling agent ammonia (NH3), is a crucial task in modern postharvest fruit management. The goal of this work was to develop and characterize a gas sensor setup based on fiber enhanced Raman spectroscopy for fast (time resolution of a few minutes) and non-destructive process gas monitoring throughout the complete postharvest production chain encompassing storage and transport in fruit conservation chambers as well as commercial fruit ripening in industrial ripening rooms. Exploiting a micro-structured hollow-core photonic crystal fiber for analyte gas confinement and sensitivity enhancement, the sensor features simultaneous quantification of O2, CO2, NH3 and C2H4 without cross-sensitivity in just one single measurement. Laboratory measurements of typical fruit conservation gas mixtures showed that the sensor is capable of quantifying O2 and CO2 concentration levels with accuracy of 3% or less with respect to reference concentrations. The sensor detected ammonia concentrations, relevant for chemical alarm purposes. Due to the high spectral resolution of the gas sensor, ethylene could be quantified simultaneously with O2 and CO2 in a multi-component mixture. These results indicate that fiber enhanced Raman sensors have a potential to become universally usable on-site gas sensors for controlled atmosphere applications in postharvest fruit management.

Highly selective and sensitive trimethylamine gas sensor based on cobalt imidazolate framework material.

PubMed

Chen, Er-Xia; Fu, Hong-Ru; Lin, Rui; Tan, Yan-Xi; Zhang, Jian

2014-12-24

A cobalt imidazolate (im) framework material [Co(im)2]n was employed to use as a trimethylamine (TMA) gas sensor and the [Co(im)2]n sensor can be easily fabricated by using Ag-Pd interdigitated electrodes. Gas sensing measurement indicated that the [Co(im)2]n sensor shows excellent selectivity, high gas response and a low detection limit level of 2 ppm to TMA at 75 °C. The good selectivity and high response to TMA of the sensor based on [Co(im)2]n may be attributed to the weak interaction between the TMA molecules and the [Co(im)2]n framework. That may provide an ideal candidate for detecting freshness of fish and seafood.

Defect-engineered graphene chemical sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity.

PubMed

Lee, Geonyeop; Yang, Gwangseok; Cho, Ara; Han, Jeong Woo; Kim, Jihyun

2016-05-25

We report defect-engineered graphene chemical sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity (e.g., 33% improvement in NO2 sensing and 614% improvement in NH3 sensing). A conventional reactive ion etching system was used to introduce the defects in a controlled manner. The sensitivity of graphene-based chemical sensors increased with increasing defect density until the vacancy-dominant region was reached. In addition, the mechanism of gas sensing was systematically investigated via experiments and density functional theory calculations, which indicated that the vacancy defect is a major contributing factor to the enhanced sensitivity. This study revealed that defect engineering in graphene has significant potential for fabricating ultra-sensitive graphene chemical sensors.

Gas-Sensing Flip-Flop Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, Martin G.; Blaes, Brent R.; Williams, Roger; Ryan, Margaret A.

1995-01-01

Gas-sensing integrated circuits consisting largely of modified static random-access memories (SRAMs) undergoing development, building on experience gained in use of modified SRAMs as radiation sensors. Each SRAM memory cell includes flip-flop circuit; sensors exploit metastable state that lies between two stable states (corresponding to binary logic states) of flip-flop circuit. Voltages of metastable states vary with exposures of gas-sensitive resistors.

A new room temperature gas sensor based on pigment-sensitized TiO2 thin film for amines determination.

PubMed

Yanxiao, Li; Xiao-bo, Zou; Xiao-wei, Huang; Ji-yong, Shi; Jie-wen, Zhao; Holmes, Mel; Hao, Limin

2015-05-15

A new room temperature gas sensor was fabricated with pigment-sensitized TiO2 thin film as the sensing layer. Four natural pigments were extracted from spinach (Spinacia oleracea), red radish (Raphanus sativus L), winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), and black rice (Oryza sativa L. indica) by ethanol. Natural pigment-sensitized TiO2 sensor was prepared by immersing porous TiO2 films in an ethanol solution containing a natural pigment for 24h. The hybrid organic-inorganic formed films here were firstly exposed to atmospheres containing methylamine vapours with concentrations over the range 2-10 ppm at room temperature. The films sensitized by the pigments from black-rice showed an excellent gas-sensitivity to methylamine among the four natural pigments sensitized films due to the anthocyanins. The relative change resistance, S, of the films increased almost linearly with increasing concentrations of methylamine (r=0.931). At last, the black rice pigment sensitized TiO2 thin film was used to determine the biogenic amines generated by pork during storage. The developed films had good sensitivity to analogous gases such as putrscine, and cadaverine that will increase during storage. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Planar Microstrip Ring Resonators for Microwave-Based Gas Sensing: Design Aspects and Initial Transducers for Humidity and Ammonia Sensing.

PubMed

Bogner, Andreas; Steiner, Carsten; Walter, Stefanie; Kita, Jaroslaw; Hagen, Gunter; Moos, Ralf

2017-10-24

A planar microstrip ring resonator structure on alumina was developed using the commercial FEM software COMSOL. Design parameters were evaluated, eventually leading to an optimized design of a miniaturized microwave gas sensor. The sensor was covered with a zeolite film. The device was successfully operated at around 8.5 GHz at room temperature as a humidity sensor. In the next step, an additional planar heater will be included on the reverse side of the resonator structure to allow for testing of gas-sensitive materials under sensor conditions.

Planar Microstrip Ring Resonators for Microwave-Based Gas Sensing: Design Aspects and Initial Transducers for Humidity and Ammonia Sensing

PubMed Central

Bogner, Andreas; Steiner, Carsten; Walter, Stefanie; Kita, Jaroslaw; Hagen, Gunter; Moos, Ralf

2017-01-01

A planar microstrip ring resonator structure on alumina was developed using the commercial FEM software COMSOL. Design parameters were evaluated, eventually leading to an optimized design of a miniaturized microwave gas sensor. The sensor was covered with a zeolite film. The device was successfully operated at around 8.5 GHz at room temperature as a humidity sensor. In the next step, an additional planar heater will be included on the reverse side of the resonator structure to allow for testing of gas-sensitive materials under sensor conditions. PMID:29064438

Recent advances and progress in photonic crystal-based gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goyal, Amit Kumar; Sankar Dutta, Hemant; Pal, Suchandan

2017-05-01

This review covers the recent progress made in the photonic crystal-based sensing technology for gas sensing applications. Photonic crystal-based sensing has tremendous potential because of its obvious advantages in sensitivity, stability, miniaturisation, portability, online use, remote monitoring etc. Several 1D and 2D photonic crystal structures including photonic crystal waveguides and cavities for gas sensing applications have been discussed in this review. For each kind of photonic crystal structure, the novelty, measurement principle and their respective gas sensing properties are presented. The reported works and the corresponding results predict the possibility to realize a commercially viable miniaturized and highly sensitive photonic crystal-based optical gas sensor having flexibility in the structure of ultra-compact size with excellent sensing properties.

Gas Sensors Based on Semiconducting Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors

PubMed Central

Feng, Ping; Shao, Feng; Shi, Yi; Wan, Qing

2014-01-01

One-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures are unique sensing materials for the fabrication of gas sensors. In this article, gas sensors based on semiconducting nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) are comprehensively reviewed. Individual nanowires or nanowire network films are usually used as the active detecting channels. In these sensors, a third electrode, which serves as the gate, is used to tune the carrier concentration of the nanowires to realize better sensing performance, including sensitivity, selectivity and response time, etc. The FET parameters can be modulated by the presence of the target gases and their change relate closely to the type and concentration of the gas molecules. In addition, extra controls such as metal decoration, local heating and light irradiation can be combined with the gate electrode to tune the nanowire channel and realize more effective gas sensing. With the help of micro-fabrication techniques, these sensors can be integrated into smart systems. Finally, some challenges for the future investigation and application of nanowire field-effect gas sensors are discussed. PMID:25232915

Nanocrystalline mesoporous SMO thin films prepared by sol gel process for MEMS-based hydrogen sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Jianwei; Fei, Weifeng; Seal, Sudipta; Chen, Quanfang

2004-01-01

MEMS based SnO2 gas sensor with sol gel synthesized mesoporous nanocrystalline (<10 nm) semiconductor thin (100~150 nm) film has been recently developed. The SnO2 nano film is fabricated with the combination of polymeric sol gel chemistry with block copolymers used for structure directing agents. The novel hydrogen sensor has a fast response time (1s) and quick recovery time (3s), as well as good sensitivity (about 90%), comparing to other hydrogen sensors developed. The improved capabilities are credited to the large surface to volume ratio of gas sensing thin film with nano sized porous surface topology, which can greatly increase the sensitivity even at relatively low working temperature. The gas sensing film is deposited onto a thin dielectric membrane of low thermal conductivity, which provides good thermal isolation between substrate and the gas-sensitive heated area on the membrane. In this way the power consumption can be kept very low. Since the fabrication process is completely compatible with IC industry, it makes mass production possible and greatly reduces the cost. The working temperature of the new sensor can be reduced as low as 100°C. The low working temperature posse advantages such as lower power consumption, lower thermal induced signal shift as well as safe detection in certain environments where temperature is strictly limited.

Porous Silicon Structures as Optical Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Levitsky, Igor A.

2015-01-01

We present a short review of recent progress in the field of optical gas sensors based on porous silicon (PSi) and PSi composites, which are separate from PSi optochemical and biological sensors for a liquid medium. Different periodical and nonperiodical PSi photonic structures (bares, modified by functional groups or infiltrated with sensory polymers) are described for gas sensing with an emphasis on the device specificity, sensitivity and stability to the environment. Special attention is paid to multiparametric sensing and sensor array platforms as effective trends for the improvement of analyte classification and quantification. Mechanisms of gas physical and chemical sorption inside PSi mesopores and pores of PSi functional composites are discussed. PMID:26287199

Nanostructured ZnO films for potential use in LPG gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latyshev, V. M.; Berestok, T. O.; Opanasyuk, A. S.; Kornyushchenko, A. S.; Perekrestov, V. I.

2017-05-01

The aim of the work was to obtain ZnO nanostructures with heightened surface area and to study relationship between formation method and gas sensor properties towards propane-butane mixture (LPG). In order to synthesize ZnO nanostructures chemical and physical formation methods have been utilized. The first one was chemical bath deposition technology and the second one magnetron sputtering of Zn followed by oxidation. Optimal method and technological parameters corresponding to formation of material with the highest sensor response have been determined experimentally. Dynamical gas sensor response at different temperature values and dependencies of the sensor sensitivity on the temperature at different LPG concentrations in air have been investigated. It has been found, that sensor response depends on the sample morphology and has the highest value for the structure consisting of thin nanowires. The factors that lead to the decrease in the gas sensor operating temperature have been determined.

Self-Test Procedures for Gas Sensors Embedded in Microreactor Systems.

PubMed

Helwig, Andreas; Hackner, Angelika; Müller, Gerhard; Zappa, Dario; Sberveglieri, Giorgio

2018-02-03

Metal oxide (MOX) gas sensors sensitively respond to a wide variety of combustible, explosive and poisonous gases. However, due to the lack of a built-in self-test capability, MOX gas sensors have not yet been able to penetrate safety-critical applications. In the present work we report on gas sensing experiments performed on MOX gas sensors embedded in ceramic micro-reaction chambers. With the help of an external micro-pump, such systems can be operated in a periodic manner alternating between flow and no-flow conditions, thus allowing repetitive measurements of the sensor resistances under clean air, R 0 , and under gas exposure, R g a s , to be obtained, even under field conditions. With these pairs of resistance values, eventual drifts in the sensor baseline resistance can be detected and drift-corrected values of the relative resistance response R e s p = ( R 0 - R g a s ) / R 0 can be determined. Residual poisoning-induced changes in the relative resistance response can be detected by reference to humidity measurements taken with room-temperature-operated capacitive humidity sensors which are insensitive to the poisoning processes operative on heated MOX gas sensors.

Indium Tin Oxide Resistor-Based Nitric Oxide Microsensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Jennifer C.; Hunter, Gary W.; Gonzalez, Jose M., III; Liu, Chung-Chiun

2012-01-01

A sensitive resistor-based NO microsensor, with a wide detection range and a low detection limit, has been developed. Semiconductor microfabrication techniques were used to create a sensor that has a simple, robust structure with a sensing area of 1.10 0.99 mm. A Pt interdigitated structure was used for the electrodes to maximize the sensor signal output. N-type semiconductor indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film was sputter-deposited as a sensing material on the electrode surface, and between the electrode fingers. Alumina substrate (250 m in thickness) was sequentially used for sensor fabrication. The resulting sensor was tested by applying a voltage across the two electrodes and measuring the resulting current. The sensor was tested at different concentrations of NO-containing gas at a range of temperatures. Preliminary results showed that the sensor had a relatively high sensitivity to NO at 450 C and 1 V. NO concentrations from ppm to ppb ranges were detected with the low limit of near 159 ppb. Lower NO concentrations are being tested. Two sensing mechanisms were involved in the NO gas detection at ppm level: adsorption and oxidation reactions, whereas at ppb level of NO, only one sensing mechanism of adsorption was involved. The NO microsensor has the advantages of high sensitivity, small size, simple batch fabrication, high sensor yield, low cost, and low power consumption due to its microsize. The resistor-based thin-film sensor is meant for detection of low concentrations of NO gas, mainly in the ppb or lower range, and is being developed concurrently with other sensor technology for multispecies detection. This development demonstrates that ITO is a sensitive sensing material for NO detection. It also provides crucial information for future selection of nanostructured and nanosized NO sensing materials, which are expected to be more sensitive and to consume less power.

Facial development of high performance room temperature NO2 gas sensors based on ZnO nanowalls decorated rGO nanosheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zongyuan; Yu, Lingmin; Guo, Fen; Liu, Sheng; Qi, Lijun; Shan, Minyu; Fan, Xinhui

2017-11-01

A highly sensitive NO2 gas sensor based on ZnO nanowalls decorated rGO nanosheets was fabricated using a thermal reduction and soft solution process. The highly developed interconnected microporous networks of ZnO nanowalls were anchored homogeneously on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Sensors fabricated with heterojunction structures achieved a higher response (S = 9.61) and shorter response-recovery (25 s, 15 s) behavior at room temperature to 50 ppm level NO2 effectively in contrast to those sensors based on net ZnO nanowalls or rGO layers. The stability and selectivity of ZnO/rGO heterojunction were carried out. Meanwhile, the effects of humidity on ZnO/rGO heterojunction gas sensor were investigated. The more preferable sensing performance of ZnO/rGO heterojunction to NO2 was discussed. It can be surmised that this NO2 gas sensor has potential for use as a portable room temperature gas sensor.

Effect of electrode gap on the sensing properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes based gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saheed, Mohamed Shuaib Mohamed; Mohamed, Norani Muti; Burhanudin, Zainal Arif

2016-11-01

Vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were grown on Si substrate coated with alumina and iron using chemical vapor deposition. Electrode gap of 10, 25 and 50 µm were adopted to determine the effect of varying gap spacing on the sensing properties such as voltage breakdown, sensitivity and selectivity for three gases namely argon, carbon dioxide and ammonia. Argon has the lowest voltage breakdown for every electrode gap. The fabricated MWCNT based gas sensor drastically reduced the voltage breakdown by 89.5% when the electrode spacing is reduced from 50 µm to 10 µm. The reduction is attributed to the high non-uniform electric field between the electrodes caused by the protrusion of nanotips. The sensor shows good sensitivity and selectivity with the ability to detect the gas in the mixture with air provided that the concentration is ≥ 20% where the voltage breakdown will be close to the pure gas.

High precision optical fiber Fabry-Perot sensor for gas pressure detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Yan; Tong, Xing-lin

2013-09-01

An optical fiber Fabry-Perot (F-P) sensor with quartz diaphragm for gas pressure testing was designed and fabricated. It consisted of single-mode fiber, hollow glass tube and quartz diaphragm. It uses the double peak demodulation to obtain the initialized cavity length. The variety of cavity length can be calcultated by the single peak demodulation after changing the gas pressure. The results show that the sensor is small in size, whose sensitivity is 19 pm/kPa in the range of the 10 ~ 260 kPa gas pressure. And it has good linearity and repeatability.

Enhanced response and sensitivity of self-corrugated graphene sensors with anisotropic charge distribution

PubMed Central

Yol Jeong, Seung; Jeong, Sooyeon; Won Lee, Sang; Tae Kim, Sung; Kim, Daeho; Jin Jeong, Hee; Tark Han, Joong; Baeg, Kang-Jun; Yang, Sunhye; Seok Jeong, Mun; Lee, Geon-Woong

2015-01-01

We introduce a high-performance molecular sensor using self-corrugated chemically modified graphene as a three dimensional (3D) structure that indicates anisotropic charge distribution. This is capable of room-temperature operation, and, in particular, exhibiting high sensitivity and reversible fast response with equilibrium region. The morphology consists of periodic, “cratered” arrays that can be formed by condensation and evaporation of graphene oxide (GO) solution on interdigitated electrodes. Subsequent hydrazine reduction, the corrugated edge area of the graphene layers have a high electric potential compared with flat graphene films. This local accumulation of electrons interacts with a large number of gas molecules. The sensitivity of 3D-graphene sensors significantly increases in the atmosphere of NO2 gas. The intriguing structures have several advantages for straightforward fabrication on patterned substrates, high-performance graphene sensors without post-annealing process. PMID:26053892

Deodorant Characteristics of Breath Odor Occurred from Favorite Foods Using Metal Oxide Gas Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seto, Shuichi; Oyabu, Takashi; Cai, Kuiqian; Katsube, Teruaki

Three types of metal oxide gas sensors were adopted to detect the degree of breath odor. Various sorts of information are included in the odor. Each sensor has different sensitivities to gaseous chemical substances and the sensitivities also differ according to human behaviors, for example taking a meal, teeth-brushing and drinking something. There is also a possibility that the sensor can detect degrees of daily fatigue. Sensor sensitivities were low for the expiration of the elderly when the subject drank green tea. In this study, it is thought that the odor system can be incorporated into a healing robot. The robot can communicate with the elderly using several words and also connect to Internet. As for the results, the robot can identify basic human behaviors and recognize the living conditions of the resident. Moreover, it can also execute a kind of information retrieval through the Internet. Therefore, it has healing capability for the aged, and can also receive and transmit information.

Design and Experimentation with Sandwich Microstructure for Catalytic Combustion-Type Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Gu, Jun-Tao; Zhang, Yong-De; Jiang, Jin-Gang

2014-01-01

The traditional handmade catalytic combustion gas sensor has some problems such as a pairing difficulty, poor consistency, high power consumption, and not being interchangeable. To address these issues, integrated double catalytic combustion of alcohol gas sensor was designed and manufactured using silicon micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The temperature field of the sensor is analyzed using the ANSYS finite element analysis method. In this work, the silicon oxide-PECVD-oxidation technique is used to manufacture a SiO2-Si3N2-SiO2 microstructure carrier with a sandwich structure, while wet etching silicon is used to form a beam structure to reduce the heat consumption. Thin-film technology is adopted to manufacture the platinum-film sensitive resistance. Nano Al2O3-ZrO-ThO is coated to format the sensor carrier, and the sensitive unit is dipped in a Pt-Pd catalyst solution to form the catalytic sensitive bridge arm. Meanwhile the uncoated catalyst carrier is considered as the reference unit, realizing an integrated chip based on a micro double bridge and forming sensors. The lines of the Pt thin-film resistance have been observed with an electronic microscope. The compensation of the sensitive material carriers and compensation materials have been analyzed using an energy spectrum. The results show that the alcohol sensor can detect a volume fraction between 0 and 4,500 × 10−6 and has good linear output characteristic. The temperature ranges from −20 to +40 °C. The humidity ranges from 30% to 85% RH. The zero output of the sensor is less than ±2.0% FS. The power consumption is ≤0.2 W, and both the response and recovery time are approximately 20 s. PMID:24625742

Ultrahigh sensitivity and layer-dependent sensing performance of phosphorene-based gas sensors

DOE PAGES

Cui, Shumao; Pu, Haihui; Wells, Spencer A.; ...

2015-10-21

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have attracted significant attention for device applications because of their unique structures and outstanding properties. Here, a field-effect transistor (FET) sensor device is fabricated based on 2D phosphorene nanosheets (PNSs). The PNS sensor exhibits an ultrahigh sensitivity to NO 2 in dry air and the sensitivity is dependent on its thickness. A maximum response is observed for 4.8-nm-thick PNS, with a sensitivity up to 190% at 20 parts per billion (p.p.b.) at room temperature. First-principles calculations combined with the statistical thermodynamics modelling predict that the adsorption density is ~10 15 cm -2 for the 4.8-nm-thick PNSmore » when exposed to 20 p.p.b. NO 2 at 300 K. As a result, our sensitivity modelling further suggests that the dependence of sensitivity on the PNS thickness is dictated by the band gap for thinner sheets (<10 nm) and by the effective thickness on gas adsorption for thicker sheets (>10 nm).« less

Ultrahigh sensitivity and layer-dependent sensing performance of phosphorene-based gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Shumao; Pu, Haihui; Wells, Spencer A.; Wen, Zhenhai; Mao, Shun; Chang, Jingbo; Hersam, Mark C.; Chen, Junhong

2015-10-01

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have attracted significant attention for device applications because of their unique structures and outstanding properties. Here, a field-effect transistor (FET) sensor device is fabricated based on 2D phosphorene nanosheets (PNSs). The PNS sensor exhibits an ultrahigh sensitivity to NO2 in dry air and the sensitivity is dependent on its thickness. A maximum response is observed for 4.8-nm-thick PNS, with a sensitivity up to 190% at 20 parts per billion (p.p.b.) at room temperature. First-principles calculations combined with the statistical thermodynamics modelling predict that the adsorption density is ~1015 cm-2 for the 4.8-nm-thick PNS when exposed to 20 p.p.b. NO2 at 300 K. Our sensitivity modelling further suggests that the dependence of sensitivity on the PNS thickness is dictated by the band gap for thinner sheets (<10 nm) and by the effective thickness on gas adsorption for thicker sheets (>10 nm).

Ultrahigh sensitivity and layer-dependent sensing performance of phosphorene-based gas sensors

PubMed Central

Cui, Shumao; Pu, Haihui; Wells, Spencer A.; Wen, Zhenhai; Mao, Shun; Chang, Jingbo; Hersam, Mark C.; Chen, Junhong

2015-01-01

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have attracted significant attention for device applications because of their unique structures and outstanding properties. Here, a field-effect transistor (FET) sensor device is fabricated based on 2D phosphorene nanosheets (PNSs). The PNS sensor exhibits an ultrahigh sensitivity to NO2 in dry air and the sensitivity is dependent on its thickness. A maximum response is observed for 4.8-nm-thick PNS, with a sensitivity up to 190% at 20 parts per billion (p.p.b.) at room temperature. First-principles calculations combined with the statistical thermodynamics modelling predict that the adsorption density is ∼1015 cm−2 for the 4.8-nm-thick PNS when exposed to 20 p.p.b. NO2 at 300 K. Our sensitivity modelling further suggests that the dependence of sensitivity on the PNS thickness is dictated by the band gap for thinner sheets (<10 nm) and by the effective thickness on gas adsorption for thicker sheets (>10 nm). PMID:26486604

LED-Absorption-QEPAS Sensor for Biogas Plants

PubMed Central

Köhring, Michael; Böttger, Stefan; Willer, Ulrike; Schade, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

A new sensor for methane and carbon dioxide concentration measurements in biogas plants is presented. LEDs in the mid infrared spectral region are implemented as low cost light source. The combination of quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy with an absorption path leads to a sensor setup suitable for the harsh application environment. The sensor system contains an electronics unit and the two gas sensors; it was designed to work as standalone device and was tested in a biogas plant for several weeks. Gas concentration dependent measurements show a precision better than 1% in a range between 40% and 60% target gas concentration for both sensors. Concentration dependent measurements with different background gases show a considerable decrease in cross sensitivity against the major components of biogas in direct comparison to common absorption based sensors. PMID:26007746

A zirconium dioxide ammonia microsensor integrated with a readout circuit manufactured using the 0.18 μm CMOS process.

PubMed

Lin, Guan-Ming; Dai, Ching-Liang; Yang, Ming-Zhi

2013-03-15

The study presents an ammonia microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip fabricated using the commercial 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The integrated sensor chip consists of a heater, an ammonia sensor and a readout circuit. The ammonia sensor is constructed by a sensitive film and the interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film is zirconium dioxide that is coated on the interdigitated electrodes. The heater is used to provide a working temperature to the sensitive film. A post-process is employed to remove the sacrificial layer and to coat zirconium dioxide on the sensor. When the sensitive film adsorbs or desorbs ammonia gas, the sensor produces a change in resistance. The readout circuit converts the resistance variation of the sensor into the output voltage. The experiments show that the integrated ammonia sensor has a sensitivity of 4.1 mV/ppm.

Influence of discharge voltage on the sensitivity of the resultant sputtered NiO thin films toward hydrogen gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalaf, Mohammed K.; Mutlak, Rajaa H.; Khudiar, Ausama I.; Hial, Qahtan G.

2017-06-01

Nickel oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrates as the main gas sensor for H2 by the DC sputtering technique at various discharge voltages within the range of 1.8-2.5 kV. Their structural, optical and gas sensing properties were investigated by XRD, AFM, SEM, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy and home-made gas sensing measurement units. A diffraction peak in the direction of NiO (200) was observed for the sputtered films, thereby indicating that these films were polycrystalline in nature. The optical band gap of the films decreased from 3.8 to 3.5 eV when the thickness of the films was increased from 83.5 to 164.4 nm in relation to an increase in the sputtering discharge voltage from 1.8 to 2.5 kV, respectively. The gas sensitivity performance of the NiO films that were formed was studied and the electrical responses of the NiO-based sensors toward different H2 concentrations were also considered. The sensitivity of the gas sensor increased with the working temperature and H2 gas concentration. The thickness of the NiO thin films was also an important parameter in determining the properties of the NiO films as H2 sensors. It was shown in this study that NiO films have the capability to detect H2 concentrations below 3% in wet air, a feature that allows this material to be used directly for the monitoring of the environment.

Extraction and evaluation of gas-flow-dependent features from dynamic measurements of gas sensors array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinowski, Paweł; Woźniak, Łukasz; Jasiński, Grzegorz; Jasiński, Piotr

2016-11-01

Gas analyzers based on gas sensors are the devices which enable recognition of various kinds of volatile compounds. They have continuously been developed and investigated for over three decades, however there are still limitations which slow down the implementation of those devices in many applications. For example, the main drawbacks are the lack of selectivity, sensitivity and long term stability of those devices caused by the drift of utilized sensors. This implies the necessity of investigations not only in the field of development of gas sensors construction, but also the development of measurement procedures or methods of analysis of sensor responses which compensate the limitations of sensors devices. One of the fields of investigations covers the dynamic measurements of sensors or sensor-arrays response with the utilization of flow modulation techniques. Different gas delivery patterns enable the possibility of extraction of unique features which improves the stability and selectivity of gas detecting systems. In this article three utilized flow modulation techniques are presented, together with the proposition of the evaluation method of their usefulness and robustness in environmental pollutants detecting systems. The results of dynamic measurements of an commercially available TGS sensor array in the presence of nitrogen dioxide and ammonia are shown.

Flow immune photoacoustic sensor for real-time and fast sampling of trace gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Jan C.; Balslev-Harder, David; Pelevic, Nikola; Brusch, Anders; Persijn, Stefan; Lassen, Mikael

2018-02-01

A photoacoustic (PA) sensor for fast and real-time gas sensing is demonstrated. The PA cell has been designed for flow noise immunity using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. PA measurements were conducted at different flow rates by exciting molecular C-H stretch vibrational bands of hexane (C6H14) in clean air at 2950cm-1 (3.38 μm) with a custom made mid-infrared interband cascade laser (ICL). The PA sensor will contribute to solve a major problem in a number of industries using compressed air by the detection of oil contaminants in high purity compressed air. We observe a (1σ, standard deviation) sensitivity of 0.4 +/-0.1 ppb (nmol/mol) for hexane in clean air at flow rates up to 2 L/min, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficient of 2.5×10-9 W cm-1 Hz1/2, thus demonstrating high sensitivity and fast and real-time gas analysis. The PA sensor is not limited to molecules with C-H stretching modes, but can be tailored to measure any trace gas by simply changing the excitation wavelength (i.e. the laser source) making it useful for many different applications where fast and sensitive trace gas measurements are needed.

A highly sensitive hydrogen sensor with gas selectivity using a PMMA membrane-coated Pd nanoparticle/single-layer graphene hybrid.

PubMed

Hong, Juree; Lee, Sanggeun; Seo, Jungmok; Pyo, Soonjae; Kim, Jongbaeg; Lee, Taeyoon

2015-02-18

A polymer membrane-coated palladium (Pd) nanoparticle (NP)/single-layer graphene (SLG) hybrid sensor was fabricated for highly sensitive hydrogen gas (H2) sensing with gas selectivity. Pd NPs were deposited on SLG via the galvanic displacement reaction between graphene-buffered copper (Cu) and Pd ion. During the galvanic displacement reaction, graphene was used as a buffer layer, which transports electrons from Cu for Pd to nucleate on the SLG surface. The deposited Pd NPs on the SLG surface were well-distributed with high uniformity and low defects. The Pd NP/SLG hybrid was then coated with polymer membrane layer for the selective filtration of H2. Because of the selective H2 filtration effect of the polymer membrane layer, the sensor had no responses to methane, carbon monoxide, or nitrogen dioxide gas. On the contrary, the PMMA/Pd NP/SLG hybrid sensor exhibited a good response to exposure to 2% H2: on average, 66.37% response within 1.81 min and recovery within 5.52 min. In addition, reliable and repeatable sensing behaviors were obtained when the sensor was exposed to different H2 concentrations ranging from 0.025 to 2%.

Flexible gas sensor based on graphene/ethyl cellulose nanocomposite with ultra-low strain response for volatile organic compounds rapid detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiankun; An, Chunhua; Fan, Shuangqing; Shi, Sigang; Zhang, Rongjie; Zhang, Jing; Li, Quanning; Zhang, Daihua; Hu, Xiaodong; Liu, Jing

2018-07-01

Minimizing the strain-induced undesirable effects is one of the major efforts to be made for flexible electronics. This work demonstrates a highly sensitive flexible gas sensor with ultra-low strain response, which is potentially suitable for wearable electronics applications. The gas sensing material is a free-standing and flexible thin film made of graphene/ethyl cellulose (EC) nanocomposite, which is then integrated with flexible substrate of polyethylene terephthalate. The sensor exhibits relative resistance change within 0.3% at a minimum bending radius of 3.18 mm and 0.2% at the bending radius of 5 mm after 400 bending cycles. The limited strain response attributes to several applied strategies, including using EC with high Young’s modulus as the matrix material, maintaining high graphene concentration and adopting suspended device structure. In contrast to the almost negligible strain sensitivity, the sensor presents large and rapid responses toward volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at room temperature. Specifically, the sensor resistance rapidly increases upon the exposure to VOCs with detection limits ranging from 37 to 167 ppm. A preliminary demo of wearable gas sensing capability is also implemented by wearing the sensor on human hand, which successfully detects several VOCs, instead of normal hand gestures.

Flexible gas sensor based on graphene/ethyl cellulose nanocomposite with ultra-low strain response for volatile organic compounds rapid detection.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiankun; An, Chunhua; Fan, Shuangqing; Shi, Sigang; Zhang, Rongjie; Zhang, Jing; Li, Quanning; Zhang, Daihua; Hu, Xiaodong; Liu, Jing

2018-04-18

Minimizing the strain-induced undesirable effects is one of the major efforts to be made for flexible electronics. This work demonstrates a highly sensitive flexible gas sensor with ultra-low strain response, which is potentially suitable for wearable electronics applications. The gas sensing material is a free-standing and flexible thin film made of graphene/ethyl cellulose (EC) nanocomposite, which is then integrated with flexible substrate of polyethylene terephthalate. The sensor exhibits relative resistance change within 0.3% at a minimum bending radius of 3.18 mm and 0.2% at the bending radius of 5 mm after 400 bending cycles. The limited strain response attributes to several applied strategies, including using EC with high Young's modulus as the matrix material, maintaining high graphene concentration and adopting suspended device structure. In contrast to the almost negligible strain sensitivity, the sensor presents large and rapid responses toward volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at room temperature. Specifically, the sensor resistance rapidly increases upon the exposure to VOCs with detection limits ranging from 37 to 167 ppm. A preliminary demo of wearable gas sensing capability is also implemented by wearing the sensor on human hand, which successfully detects several VOCs, instead of normal hand gestures.

Selectivity of the gas sensor based on the 50%In2O3-50%Ga2O3 thin film in dynamic mode of operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demin, I. E.; Kozlov, A. G.

2018-01-01

The article considers the gas sensor with the sensitive layer based on the 50%In2O3 -50%Ga2O3 thin film. The temperature and concentration dependencies of gas-induced resistance response of this sensor and the dynamical dependencies of its resistance response on the test gases in air are investigated. The test gases were ethanol, acetone, ammonia and liquefied petroleum gas. The information parameters of the sensor in the dynamical mode of operation were considered to improve its selectivity. The presented results show that the selectivity of the sensor in this mode may be improved by using the following information parameters: gas-induced resistance response in steady state, activation energy of the response and pre-exponential factor of the temperature dependence of the response time constant.

A zinc oxide nanorod ammonia microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip.

PubMed

Yang, Ming-Zhi; Dai, Ching-Liang; Wu, Chyan-Chyi

2011-01-01

A zinc oxide nanorod ammonia microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip fabricated using the commercial 0.35 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process was investigated. The structure of the ammonia sensor is composed of a sensitive film and polysilicon electrodes. The ammonia sensor requires a post-process to etch the sacrificial layer, and to coat the sensitive film on the polysilicon electrodes. The sensitive film that is prepared by a hydrothermal method is made of zinc oxide. The sensor resistance changes when the sensitive film adsorbs or desorbs ammonia gas. The readout circuit is used to convert the sensor resistance into the voltage output. Experiments show that the ammonia sensor has a sensitivity of about 1.5 mV/ppm at room temperature.

The improvement of gas-sensing properties of SnO2/zeolite-assembled composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yanhui; Wang, Jing; Li, Xiaogan; Du, Haiying; Huang, Qingpan

2018-05-01

SnO2-impregnated zeolite composites were used as gas-sensing materials to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the metal oxide-based resistive-type gas sensors. Nanocrystalline MFI type zeolite (ZSM-5) was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. Highly dispersive SnO2 nanoparticles were then successfully assembled on the surface of the ZSM-5 nanoparticles by using the impregnation methods. The SnO2 nanoparticles are nearly spherical with the particle size of 10 nm. An enhanced formaldehyde sensing of as-synthesized SnO2-ZSM-5-based sensor was observed whereas a suppression on the sensor response to other volatile organic vapors (VOCs) such as acetone, ethanol, and methanol was noticed. The possible reasons for this contrary observation were proposed to be related to the amount of the produced water vapor during the sensing reactions assisted by the ZSM-5 nanoparticles. This provides a possible new strategy to improve the selectivity of the gas sensors. The effect of the humidity on the sensor response to formaldehyde was investigated and it was found the higher humidity would decrease the sensor response. A coating layer of the ZSM-5 nanoparticles on top of the SnO2-ZSM-5-sensing film was thus applied to further improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor through the strong adsorption ability to polar gases and the "filtering effect" by the pores of ZSM-5.

A novel ethanol gas sensor based on TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuan; Liu, Lixin; Meng, Chuanmin; Zhou, Yun; Gao, Zhao; Li, Xuhai; Cao, Xiuxia; Xu, Liang; Zhu, Wenjun

2016-01-01

Much greater surface-to-volume ratio of hierarchical nanostructures renders them attract considerable interest as prototypical gas sensors. In this work, a novel resistive gas sensor based on TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures is fabricated by a facile one-step synthetic process and the ethanol sensing performance of this device is characterized systematically, which shows faster response/recovery behavior, better selectivity, and higher sensitivity of about 9 times as compared to the pure TiO2 nanofibers. The enhanced sensitivity of the TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures should be attributed to the extraordinary branched hierarchical structures and TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 heterojunctions, which can eventually result in an obvious change of resistance upon ethanol exposure. This study not only indicates the gas sensing mechanism for performance enhancement of branched nanoheterostructures, but also proposes a rational approach to design nanostructure based chemical sensors with desirable performance. PMID:27615429

A novel ethanol gas sensor based on TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuan; Liu, Lixin; Meng, Chuanmin; Zhou, Yun; Gao, Zhao; Li, Xuhai; Cao, Xiuxia; Xu, Liang; Zhu, Wenjun

2016-09-01

Much greater surface-to-volume ratio of hierarchical nanostructures renders them attract considerable interest as prototypical gas sensors. In this work, a novel resistive gas sensor based on TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures is fabricated by a facile one-step synthetic process and the ethanol sensing performance of this device is characterized systematically, which shows faster response/recovery behavior, better selectivity, and higher sensitivity of about 9 times as compared to the pure TiO2 nanofibers. The enhanced sensitivity of the TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures should be attributed to the extraordinary branched hierarchical structures and TiO2/Ag0.35V2O5 heterojunctions, which can eventually result in an obvious change of resistance upon ethanol exposure. This study not only indicates the gas sensing mechanism for performance enhancement of branched nanoheterostructures, but also proposes a rational approach to design nanostructure based chemical sensors with desirable performance.

A 3D Chemically Modified Graphene Hydrogel for Fast, Highly Sensitive, and Selective Gas Sensor.

PubMed

Wu, Jin; Tao, Kai; Guo, Yuanyuan; Li, Zhong; Wang, Xiaotian; Luo, Zhongzhen; Feng, Shuanglong; Du, Chunlei; Chen, Di; Miao, Jianmin; Norford, Leslie K

2017-03-01

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has proved to be a promising candidate in high-performance gas sensing in ambient conditions. However, trace detection of different kinds of gases with simultaneously high sensitivity and selectivity is challenging. Here, a chemiresistor-type sensor based on 3D sulfonated RGO hydrogel (S-RGOH) is reported, which can detect a variety of important gases with high sensitivity, boosted selectivity, fast response, and good reversibility. The NaHSO 3 functionalized RGOH displays remarkable 118.6 and 58.9 times higher responses to NO 2 and NH 3 , respectively, compared with its unmodified RGOH counterpart. In addition, the S-RGOH sensor is highly responsive to volatile organic compounds. More importantly, the characteristic patterns on the linearly fitted response-temperature curves are employed to distinguish various gases for the first time. The temperature of the sensor is elevated rapidly by an imbedded microheater with little power consumption. The 3D S-RGOH is characterized and the sensing mechanisms are proposed. This work gains new insights into boosting the sensitivity of detecting various gases by combining chemical modification and 3D structural engineering of RGO, and improving the selectivity of gas sensing by employing temperature dependent response characteristics of RGO for different gases.

Fabrication of flexible MoS2 thin-film transistor arrays for practical gas-sensing applications.

PubMed

He, Qiyuan; Zeng, Zhiyuan; Yin, Zongyou; Li, Hai; Wu, Shixin; Huang, Xiao; Zhang, Hua

2012-10-08

By combining two kinds of solution-processable two-dimensional materials, a flexible transistor array is fabricated in which MoS(2) thin film is used as the active channel and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) film is used as the drain and source electrodes. The simple device configuration and the 1.5 mm-long MoS(2) channel ensure highly reproducible device fabrication and operation. This flexible transistor array can be used as a highly sensitive gas sensor with excellent reproducibility. Compared to using rGO thin film as the active channel, this new gas sensor exhibits much higher sensitivity. Moreover, functionalization of the MoS(2) thin film with Pt nanoparticles further increases the sensitivity by up to ∼3 times. The successful incorporation of a MoS(2) thin-film into the electronic sensor promises its potential application in various electronic devices. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ZnO nanomaterials based surface acoustic wave ethanol gas sensor.

PubMed

Wu, Y; Li, X; Liu, J H; He, Y N; Yu, L M; Liu, W H

2012-08-01

ZnO nanomaterials based surface acoustic wave (SAW) gas sensor has been investigated in ethanol environment at room temperature. The ZnO nanomaterials have been prepared through thermal evaporation of high-purity zinc powder. The as-prepared ZnO nanomaterials have been characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. The results indicate that the obtained ZnO nanomaterials, including many types of nanostructures such as nanobelts, nanorods, nanowires as well as nanosheets, are wurtzite with hexagonal structure and well-crystallized. The SAW sensor coated with the nanostructured ZnO materials has been tested in ethanol gas of various concentrations at room temperature. A network analyzer is used to monitor the change of the insertion loss of the SAW sensor when exposed to ethanol gas. The insertion loss of the SAW sensor varies significantly with the change of ethanol concentration. The experimental results manifest that the ZnO nanomaterials based SAW ethanol gas sensor exhibits excellent sensitivity and good short-term reproducibility at room temperature.

Estimation of the limit of detection in semiconductor gas sensors through linearized calibration models.

PubMed

Burgués, Javier; Jiménez-Soto, Juan Manuel; Marco, Santiago

2018-07-12

The limit of detection (LOD) is a key figure of merit in chemical sensing. However, the estimation of this figure of merit is hindered by the non-linear calibration curve characteristic of semiconductor gas sensor technologies such as, metal oxide (MOX), gasFETs or thermoelectric sensors. Additionally, chemical sensors suffer from cross-sensitivities and temporal stability problems. The application of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recommendations for univariate LOD estimation in non-linear semiconductor gas sensors is not straightforward due to the strong statistical requirements of the IUPAC methodology (linearity, homoscedasticity, normality). Here, we propose a methodological approach to LOD estimation through linearized calibration models. As an example, the methodology is applied to the detection of low concentrations of carbon monoxide using MOX gas sensors in a scenario where the main source of error is the presence of uncontrolled levels of humidity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[INVITED] Porphyrin-nanoassembled fiber-optic gas sensor fabrication: Optimization of parameters for sensitive ammonia gas detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korposh, Sergiy; Kodaira, Suguru; Selyanchyn, Roman; Ledezma, Francisco H.; James, Stephen W.; Lee, Seung-Woo

2018-05-01

Highly sensitive fiber-optic ammonia gas sensors were fabricated via layer-by-layer deposition of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and tetrakis(4-sulfophenyl)porphine (TSPP) onto the surface of the core of a hard-clad multimode fiber that was stripped of its polymer cladding. The effects of film thickness, length of sensing area, and depth of evanescent wave penetration were investigated to clearly understand the sensor performance. The sensitivity of the fiber-optic sensor to ammonia was linear in the concentration range of 0.5-50 ppm and the response and recovery times were less than 3 min, with a limit of detection of 0.5 ppm, when a ten-cycle PDDA/TSPP film was assembled on the surface of the core along a 1 cm-long stripped section of the fiber. The sensor's response towards ammonia was also checked under different relative humidity conditions and a simple statistical data treatment approach, principal component analysis, demonstrated the feasibility of ammonia sensing in environmental relative humidity ranging from dry 7% to highly saturated 80%. Penetration depths of the evanescent wave for the optimal sensor configuration were estimated to be 30 and 33 nm at wavelengths of 420 and 706 nm, which are in a good agreement with the thickness of the 10-cycle deposited film (ca. 30 nm).

Flower-like In2O3 modified by reduced graphene oxide sheets serving as a highly sensitive gas sensor for trace NO2 detection.

PubMed

Liu, Jie; Li, Shan; Zhang, Bo; Wang, Yinglin; Gao, Yuan; Liang, Xishuang; Wang, Yue; Lu, Geyu

2017-10-15

In this work, we described gas sensors based on the materials composed of hierarchical flower-likeIn 2 O 3 and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), which were fabricated by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The rGO-In 2 O 3 composites exhibited enhanced sensing performance towards NO 2 through comparison with the pure In 2 O 3 sample. The operating temperature can be tuned by the percentage of rGO in the composites. The sensor based on 5wt% rGO-In 2 O 3 could work at room temperature with a high response value to 1ppm NO 2 . 3wt% rGO-In 2 O 3 composite was adopted for the ultra-sensitivity gas sensor owing to its extremely low limit of detection of 10ppb with rapid response time to NO 2 . The sensor also exhibited excellent selectivity and stability. The ultra-sensitivity of rGO-In 2 O 3 should be related to synergistic effect of the hierarchical structure of In 2 O 3 and the presence of rGO in the composites, which provided enhanced surface area and local p-n heterojunctions in rGO/In 2 O 3 composites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas

PubMed Central

Kuo, Chin-Guo; Chen, Jung-Hsuan; Chao, Yi-Chieh; Chen, Po-Lin

2017-01-01

In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD) while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 1019 cm−3 and 24.7 cm2∙V−1∙s−1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm. PMID:29295573

Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas.

PubMed

Kuo, Chin-Guo; Chen, Jung-Hsuan; Chao, Yi-Chieh; Chen, Po-Lin

2017-12-25

In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD) while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 10 19 cm -3 and 24.7 cm²∙V -1 ∙s -1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm.

Pt-decorated GaN nanowires with significant improvement in H2 gas-sensing performance at room temperature.

PubMed

Abdullah, Q N; Yam, F K; Hassan, Z; Bououdina, M

2015-12-15

Superior sensitivity towards H2 gas was successfully achieved with Pt-decorated GaN nanowires (NWs) gas sensor. GaN NWs were fabricated via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) route. Morphology (field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy) and crystal structure (high resolution X-ray diffraction) characterizations of the as-synthesized nanostructures demonstrated the formation of GaN NWs having a wurtzite structure, zigzaged shape and an average diameter of 30-166nm. The Pt-decorated GaN NWs sensor shows a high response of 250-2650% upon exposure to H2 gas concentration from 7 to 1000ppm respectively at room temperature (RT), and then increases to about 650-4100% when increasing the operating temperature up to 75°C. The gas-sensing measurements indicated that the Pt-decorated GaN NWs based sensor exhibited efficient detection of H2 at low concentration with excellent sensitivity, repeatability, and free hysteresis phenomena over a period of time of 100min. The large surface-to-volume ratio of GaN NWs and the catalytic activity of Pt metal are the most influential factors leading to the enhancement of H2 gas-sensing performances through the improvement of the interaction between the target molecules (H2) and the sensing NWs surface. The attractive low-cost, low power consumption and high-performance of the resultant decorated GaN NWs gas sensor assure their uppermost potential for H2 gas sensor working at low operating temperature. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical vapor detection using a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer.

PubMed

Lee, Hyunjoo J; Park, Kwan Kyu; Kupnik, Mario; Oralkan, O; Khuri-Yakub, Butrus T

2011-12-15

Distributed sensing of gas-phase chemicals using highly sensitive and inexpensive sensors is of great interest for many defense and consumer applications. In this paper we present ppb-level detection of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a common simulant for sarin gas, with a ppt-level resolution using an improved capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) as a resonant chemical sensor. The improved CMUT operates at a higher resonant frequency of 47.7 MHz and offers an improved mass sensitivity of 48.8 zg/Hz/μm(2) by a factor of 2.7 compared to the previous CMUT sensors developed. A low-noise oscillator using the CMUT resonant sensor as the frequency-selective device was developed for real-time sensing, which exhibits an Allan deviation of 1.65 Hz (3σ) in the presence of a gas flow; this translates into a mass resolution of 80.5 zg/μm(2). The CMUT resonant sensor is functionalized with a 50-nm thick DKAP polymer developed at Sandia National Laboratory for dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) detection. To demonstrate ppb-level detection of the improved chemical sensor system, the sensor performance was tested at a certified lab (MIT Lincoln Laboratory), which is equipped with an experimental chemical setup that reliably and accurately delivers a wide range of low concentrations down to 10 ppb. We report a high volume sensitivity of 34.5 ± 0.79 pptv/Hz to DMMP and a good selectivity of the polymer to DMMP with respect to dodecane and 1-octanol.

Hollow fibers for compact infrared gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambrecht, A.; Hartwig, S.; Herbst, J.; Wöllenstein, J.

2008-02-01

Hollow fibers can be used for compact infrared gas sensors. The guided light is absorbed by the gas introduced into the hollow core. High sensitivity and a very small sampling volume can be achieved depending on fiber parameters i.e. attenuation, flexibility, and gas exchange rates. Different types of infrared hollow fibers including photonic bandgap fibers were characterized using quantum cascade lasers and thermal radiation sources. Obtained data are compared with available product specifications. Measurements with a compact fiber based ethanol sensor are compared with a system simulation. First results on the detection of trace amounts of the explosive material TATP using hollow fibers and QCL will be shown.

The Morphologies of the Semiconductor Oxides and Their Gas-Sensing Properties

PubMed Central

Lv, Xin; Li, Shuang; Wang, Qingji

2017-01-01

Semiconductor oxide chemoresistive gas sensors are widely used for detecting deleterious gases due to low cost, simple preparation, rapid response and high sensitivity. The performance of gas sensor is greatly affected by the morphology of the semiconductor oxide. There are many semiconductor oxide morphologies, including zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional ones. The semiconductor oxides with different morphologies significantly enhance the gas-sensing performance. Among the various morphologies, hollow nanostructures and core-shell nanostructures are always the focus of research in the field of gas sensors due to their distinctive structural characteristics and superior performance. Herein the morphologies of semiconductor oxides and their gas-sensing properties are reviewed. This review also proposes a potential strategy for the enhancement of gas-sensing performance in the future. PMID:29189714

Solid-State Gas Sensors: Sensor System Challenges in the Civil Security Domain.

PubMed

Müller, Gerhard; Hackner, Angelika; Beer, Sebastian; Göbel, Johann

2016-01-20

The detection of military high explosives and illicit drugs presents problems of paramount importance in the fields of counter terrorism and criminal investigation. Effectively dealing with such threats requires hand-portable, mobile and affordable instruments. The paper shows that solid-state gas sensors can contribute to the development of such instruments provided the sensors are incorporated into integrated sensor systems, which acquire the target substances in the form of particle residue from suspect objects and which process the collected residue through a sequence of particle sampling, solid-vapor conversion, vapor detection and signal treatment steps. Considering sensor systems with metal oxide gas sensors at the backend, it is demonstrated that significant gains in sensitivity, selectivity and speed of response can be attained when the threat substances are sampled in particle as opposed to vapor form.

Solid-State Gas Sensors: Sensor System Challenges in the Civil Security Domain

PubMed Central

Müller, Gerhard; Hackner, Angelika; Beer, Sebastian; Göbel, Johann

2016-01-01

The detection of military high explosives and illicit drugs presents problems of paramount importance in the fields of counter terrorism and criminal investigation. Effectively dealing with such threats requires hand-portable, mobile and affordable instruments. The paper shows that solid-state gas sensors can contribute to the development of such instruments provided the sensors are incorporated into integrated sensor systems, which acquire the target substances in the form of particle residue from suspect objects and which process the collected residue through a sequence of particle sampling, solid-vapor conversion, vapor detection and signal treatment steps. Considering sensor systems with metal oxide gas sensors at the backend, it is demonstrated that significant gains in sensitivity, selectivity and speed of response can be attained when the threat substances are sampled in particle as opposed to vapor form. PMID:28787865

Ethanol gas sensing performance of high-dimensional fuzz metal oxide nanostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibano, Kenzo; Kimura, Yoshihiro; Sugahara, Tohru; Lee, Heun Tae; Ueda, Yoshio

2018-04-01

Gas sensing ability of the He plasma induced fiber-like nanostructure, so-called fuzz structure, was firstly examined. A thin Mo layer deposited on a quartz surface was irradiated by He plasma to form the fuzz structure and oxidized by annealing in a quartz furnace. Electric conductivity of the fuzz Mo oxide layer was then measured through the Au electrodes deposited on the layer. Changes in electric conductivity by C2H5OH gas flow were examined as a function of temperature from 200 to 400 °C. Improved sensitivities were observed for the specimens after a fuzz nanostructure formation. However, the sensor developed in this study showed lower sensitivities than previously reported MoO3 nano-rod sensor, further optimization of oxidation is needed to improve the sensitivity.

Novel fabrication of flexible graphene-based chemical sensors with heaters using soft lithographic patterning method.

PubMed

Jung, Min Wook; Myung, Sung; Song, Wooseok; Kang, Min-A; Kim, Sung Ho; Yang, Cheol-Soo; Lee, Sun Sook; Lim, Jongsun; Park, Chong-Yun; Lee, Jeong-O; An, Ki-Seok

2014-08-27

We have fabricated graphene-based chemical sensors with flexible heaters for the highly sensitive detection of specific gases. We believe that increasing the temperature of the graphene surface significantly enhanced the electrical signal change of the graphene-based channel, and reduced the recovery time needed to obtain a normal state of equilibrium. In addition, a simple and efficient soft lithographic patterning process was developed via surface energy modification for advanced, graphene-based flexible devices, such as gas sensors. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated the high sensitivity of NO2 gas sensors based on graphene nanosheets. These devices were fabricated using a simple soft-lithographic patterning method, where flexible graphene heaters adjacent to the channel of sensing graphene were utilized to control graphene temperature.

Fabrication and Characterization of a Micro Methanol Sensor Using the CMOS-MEMS Technique.

PubMed

Fong, Chien-Fu; Dai, Ching-Liang; Wu, Chyan-Chyi

2015-10-23

A methanol microsensor integrated with a micro heater manufactured using the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technique was presented. The sensor has a capability of detecting low concentration methanol gas. Structure of the sensor is composed of interdigitated electrodes, a sensitive film and a heater. The heater located under the interdigitated electrodes is utilized to provide a working temperature to the sensitive film. The sensitive film prepared by the sol-gel method is tin dioxide doped cadmium sulfide, which is deposited on the interdigitated electrodes. To obtain the suspended structure and deposit the sensitive film, the sensor needs a post-CMOS process to etch the sacrificial silicon dioxide layer and silicon substrate. The methanol senor is a resistive type. A readout circuit converts the resistance variation of the sensor into the output voltage. The experimental results show that the methanol sensor has a sensitivity of 0.18 V/ppm.

Fabrication and Characterization of a Micro Methanol Sensor Using the CMOS-MEMS Technique

PubMed Central

Fong, Chien-Fu; Dai, Ching-Liang; Wu, Chyan-Chyi

2015-01-01

A methanol microsensor integrated with a micro heater manufactured using the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technique was presented. The sensor has a capability of detecting low concentration methanol gas. Structure of the sensor is composed of interdigitated electrodes, a sensitive film and a heater. The heater located under the interdigitated electrodes is utilized to provide a working temperature to the sensitive film. The sensitive film prepared by the sol-gel method is tin dioxide doped cadmium sulfide, which is deposited on the interdigitated electrodes. To obtain the suspended structure and deposit the sensitive film, the sensor needs a post-CMOS process to etch the sacrificial silicon dioxide layer and silicon substrate. The methanol senor is a resistive type. A readout circuit converts the resistance variation of the sensor into the output voltage. The experimental results show that the methanol sensor has a sensitivity of 0.18 V/ppm. PMID:26512671

The Design of The Monitoring Tools Of Clean Air Condition And Dangerous Gas CO, CO2 CH4 In Chemical Laboratory By Using Fuzzy Logic Based On Microcontroller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widodo, Slamet; Miftakul, Amin M.; Sutrisman, Adi

2018-02-01

There are many phenomena that human are exposed to toxins from certain types such as of CO2, CO2 and CH4 gases. The device used to detect large amounts of CO, CO2, and CH4 gas in air in enclosed spaces using MQ 135 gas sensors of different types based on the three sensitivity of the Gas. The results of testing the use of sensors MQ 135 on the gas content of CO, CO2 and CH4 received by the sensor is still in the form of ppm based on the maximum ppm detection range of each sensor. Active sensor detects CO 120 ppm gas, CO2 1600 ppm and CH4 1ppm "standby 1" air condition with intermediate rotary fan. Active sensor detects CO 30 ppm gas, CO2 490 ppm and CH4 7 ppm "Standby 2" with low rotating fan output. Fuzzy rulebase logic for motor speed when gas detection sensor CO, CO2, and CH4 output controls the motion speed of the fan blower. Active sensors detect CO 15 ppm, CO2 320 ppm and CH4 45 ppm "Danger" air condition with high fan spin fan. At the gas level of CO 15 ppm, CO2 390 ppm and CH4 3 ppm detect "normal" AC sensor with fan output stop spinning.

Gas sensors boosted by two-dimensional h-BN enabled transfer on thin substrate foils: towards wearable and portable applications.

PubMed

Ayari, Taha; Bishop, Chris; Jordan, Matthew B; Sundaram, Suresh; Li, Xin; Alam, Saiful; ElGmili, Youssef; Patriarche, Gilles; Voss, Paul L; Salvestrini, Jean Paul; Ougazzaden, Abdallah

2017-11-09

The transfer of GaN based gas sensors to foreign substrates provides a pathway to enhance sensor performance, lower the cost and extend the applications to wearable, mobile or disposable systems. The main keys to unlocking this pathway is to grow and fabricate the sensors on large h-BN surface and to transfer them to the flexible substrate without any degradation of the performances. In this work, we develop a new generation of AlGaN/GaN gas sensors with boosted performances on a low cost flexible substrate. We fabricate 2-inch wafer scale AlGaN/GaN gas sensors on sacrificial two-dimensional (2D) nano-layered h-BN without any delamination or cracks and subsequently transfer sensors to an acrylic surface on metallic foil. This technique results in a modification of relevant device properties, leading to a doubling of the sensitivity to NO 2 gas and a response time that is more than 6 times faster than before transfer. This new approach for GaN-based sensor design opens new avenues for sensor improvement via transfer to more suitable substrates, and is promising for next-generation wearable and portable opto-electronic devices.

The Effect of Film Thickness on the Gas Sensing Properties of Ultra-Thin TiO₂ Films Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition.

PubMed

Wilson, Rachel L; Simion, Cristian Eugen; Blackman, Christopher S; Carmalt, Claire J; Stanoiu, Adelina; Di Maggio, Francesco; Covington, James A

2018-03-01

Analyte sensitivity for gas sensors based on semiconducting metal oxides should be highly dependent on the film thickness, particularly when that thickness is on the order of the Debye length. This thickness dependence has previously been demonstrated for SnO₂ and inferred for TiO₂. In this paper, TiO₂ thin films have been prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) using titanium isopropoxide and water as precursors. The deposition process was performed on standard alumina gas sensor platforms and microscope slides (for analysis purposes), at a temperature of 200 °C. The TiO₂ films were exposed to different concentrations of CO, CH₄, NO₂, NH₃ and SO₂ to evaluate their gas sensitivities. These experiments showed that the TiO₂ film thickness played a dominant role within the conduction mechanism and the pattern of response for the electrical resistance towards CH₄ and NH₃ exposure indicated typical n -type semiconducting behavior. The effect of relative humidity on the gas sensitivity has also been demonstrated.

Theoretical approach to evaluate graphene/PANI composite as highly selective ammonia sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Zhi; Liao, Ningbo; Zhang, Miao; Xue, Wei

2018-09-01

The incorporation of graphene is an effective way to enhance the sensitivity of polyaniline (PANI) gas sensors, while the interaction mechanism between gas and graphene/PANI composite system is still not clear. In this work, the interaction between NH3, NO, CO, H2 and graphene/PANI are investigated by density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations. Based on the obtained adsorption energy, Mulliken charge and band gap, graphene/PANI exhibits much higher sensitivity towards NH3 gas than the other three gases. The adsorption of NH3 on graphene/PANI causes a clear increase of the DOS above the Fermi level, thus changing the conductivity of graphene/PANI and making the sensing feasible. The further comparative research on gases diffusion properties demonstrates that the composite show excellent adsorption capacity towards NH3 gas molecules. Our results show graphene/PANI system can detect NH3 gas with high sensitivity and selectivity, enabling it to be a promising sensing material of NH3.

Silicon Carbide-Based Hydrogen Gas Sensors for High-Temperature Applications

PubMed Central

Kim, Seongjeen; Choi, Jehoon; Jung, Minsoo; Joo, Sungjae; Kim, Sangchoel

2013-01-01

We investigated SiC-based hydrogen gas sensors with metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure for high temperature process monitoring and leak detection applications in fields such as the automotive, chemical and petroleum industries. In this work, a thin tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) layer was exploited with the purpose of sensitivity improvement, because tantalum oxide has good stability at high temperature with high permeability for hydrogen gas. Silicon carbide (SiC) was used as a substrate for high-temperature applications. We fabricated Pd/Ta2O5/SiC-based hydrogen gas sensors, and the dependence of their I-V characteristics and capacitance response properties on hydrogen concentrations were analyzed in the temperature range from room temperature to 500 °C. According to the results, our sensor shows promising performance for hydrogen gas detection at high temperatures. PMID:24113685

Silicon carbide-based hydrogen gas sensors for high-temperature applications.

PubMed

Kim, Seongjeen; Choi, Jehoon; Jung, Minsoo; Joo, Sungjae; Kim, Sangchoel

2013-10-09

We investigated SiC-based hydrogen gas sensors with metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure for high temperature process monitoring and leak detection applications in fields such as the automotive, chemical and petroleum industries. In this work, a thin tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) layer was exploited with the purpose of sensitivity improvement, because tantalum oxide has good stability at high temperature with high permeability for hydrogen gas. Silicon carbide (SiC) was used as a substrate for high-temperature applications. We fabricated Pd/Ta2O5/SiC-based hydrogen gas sensors, and the dependence of their I-V characteristics and capacitance response properties on hydrogen concentrations were analyzed in the temperature range from room temperature to 500 °C. According to the results, our sensor shows promising performance for hydrogen gas detection at high temperatures.

Experimental demonstration of high sensitivity for silver rectangular grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Yanqiu; Xu, Huimei; Wang, Haoyu; Lu, Yonghua; Wang, Pei

2018-06-01

We experimentally demonstrated a high sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with silver rectangular grating coupling. The reflection spectra of the silver gratings indicated that surface plasmon resonance can be excited by either positive or negative order diffraction of the grating, depending on the period of the gratings. Comparing to prism-coupled SPR sensor, the sensitivities are higher for negative order diffraction coupling in bigger coupling angle, but much smaller for positive order diffraction coupling of the gratings. High sensitivity of 254.13 degree/RIU is experimentally realized by grating-based SPR sensor in the negative diffraction excitation mode. Our work paves the way for compact and sensitive SPR sensor in the applications of biochemical and gas sensing.

Geometrical optimization of a local ballistic magnetic sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kanda, Yuhsuke; Hara, Masahiro; Nomura, Tatsuya

2014-04-07

We have developed a highly sensitive local magnetic sensor by using a ballistic transport property in a two-dimensional conductor. A semiclassical simulation reveals that the sensitivity increases when the geometry of the sensor and the spatial distribution of the local field are optimized. We have also experimentally demonstrated a clear observation of a magnetization process in a permalloy dot whose size is much smaller than the size of an optimized ballistic magnetic sensor fabricated from a GaAs/AlGaAs two-dimensional electron gas.

A MEMS-based Benzene Gas Sensor with a Self-heating WO3 Sensing Layer

PubMed Central

Ke, Ming-Tsun; Lee, Mu-Tsun; Lee, Chia-Yen; Fu, Lung-Ming

2009-01-01

In the study, a MEMS-based benzene gas sensor is presented, consisting of a quartz substrate, a thin-film WO3 sensing layer, an integrated Pt micro-heater, and Pt interdigitated electrodes (IDEs). When benzene is present in the atmosphere, oxidation occurs on the heated WO3 sensing layer. This causes a change in the electrical conductivity of the WO3 film, and hence changes the resistance between the IDEs. The benzene concentration is then computed from the change in the measured resistance. A specific orientation of the WO3 layer is obtained by optimizing the sputtering process parameters. It is found that the sensitivity of the gas sensor is optimized at a working temperature of 300 °C. At the optimal working temperature, the experimental results show that the sensor has a high degree of sensitivity (1.0 KΩ ppm−1), a low detection limit (0.2 ppm) and a rapid response time (35 s). PMID:22574052

Multifunctional potentiometric gas sensor array with an integrated temperature control and temperature sensors

DOEpatents

Blackburn, Bryan M; Wachsman, Eric D

2015-05-12

Embodiments of the subject invention relate to a gas sensor and method for sensing one or more gases. An embodiment incorporates an array of sensing electrodes maintained at similar or different temperatures, such that the sensitivity and species selectivity of the device can be fine tuned between different pairs of sensing electrodes. A specific embodiment pertains to a gas sensor array for monitoring combustion exhausts and/or chemical reaction byproducts. An embodiment of the subject device related to this invention operates at high temperatures and can withstand harsh chemical environments. Embodiments of the device are made on a single substrate. The devices can also be made on individual substrates and monitored individually as if they were part of an array on a single substrate. The device can incorporate sensing electrodes in the same environment, which allows the electrodes to be coplanar and, thus, keep manufacturing costs low. Embodiments of the device can provide improvements to sensitivity, selectivity, and signal interference via surface temperature control.

Highly Efficient Gas Sensor Using a Hollow SnO2 Microfiber for Triethylamine Detection.

PubMed

Zou, Yihui; Chen, Shuai; Sun, Jin; Liu, Jingquan; Che, Yanke; Liu, Xianghong; Zhang, Jun; Yang, Dongjiang

2017-07-28

Triethylamine (TEA) gas sensors having excellent response and selectivity are in great demand to monitor the real environment. In this work, we have successfully prepared a hollow SnO 2 microfiber by a unique sustainable biomass conversion strategy and shown that the microfiber can be used in a high-performance gas sensor. The sensor based on the hollow SnO 2 microfiber shows a quick response/recovery toward triethylamine. The response of the hollow SnO 2 microfiber is up to 49.5 when the concentration of TEA gas is 100 ppm. The limit of detection is as low as 2 ppm. Furthermore, the sensor has a relatively low optimal operation temperature of 270 °C, which is lower than those of many other reported sensors. The excellent sensing properties are largely attributed to the high sensitivity provided by SnO 2 and the good permeability and conductivity of the one-dimensional hollow structure. Thus, the hollow SnO 2 microfiber using sustainable biomass as a template is a significant strategy for a unique TEA gas sensor.

Latest developments for low-power infrared laser-based trace gas sensors for sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

So, Stephen; Thomazy, David; Wang, Wen; Marchat, Oscar; Wysocki, Gerard

2011-09-01

Academic and industrial researchers require ultra-low power, compact laser based trace-gas sensor systems for the most demanding environmental and space-borne applications. Here the latest results from research projects addressing these applications will be discussed: 1) an ultra-compact CO2 sensor based on a continuous wave quantum cascade laser, 2) an ultra-sensitive Faraday rotation spectrometer for O2 detection, 3) a fully ruggedized compact and low-power laser spectrometer, and 4) a novel non-paraxial nonthin multipass cell. Preliminary tests and projection for performance of future sensors based on this technology is presented.

Formaldehyde sensor based on Ni-doped tetrapod-shaped ZnO nanopowder induced by external magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Zikui; Xie, Changsheng; Hu, Mulin; Zhang, Shunping

2008-12-01

The sensors based on Ni-doped ZnO nanopowder with tetrapod-shape (T-ZnO) were fabricated by screen-printing technique with external magnetic field in different direction. The morphologies and crystal structures of the thick film were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), respectively. Gas-sensing property of sensors responded to 100 ppm formaldehyde was also detected. The results show that the direction of magnetic field has crucial effect on the sensor sensitivity. The sensors based on 5 wt% Ni-doped T-ZnO induced by magnetic field in parallel direction to the thick film surface, has the optimization sensitivity, the shortest response and recovery time, which are 10.6, 16 and 15 s, respectively. The magnetic-field induction model and the gas-sensing mechanism of the Ni-doped T-ZnO are proposed.

Ferroelectric Dispersed Composite Solid Electrolyte for CO2 Gas Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, K.; Ambekar, P.; Bhoga, S. S.

2002-12-01

The Li2CO3:LiNbO3 composite system was investigated for the application in electrochemical gas sensor. The conductivity maximum is observed for 50Li2CO3+50LiNbO3. An enhancement in conductivity is understood to be due to the percolation threshold. The composite is also seen less sensitive to moisture. Potentiometric sensors are obtained using optimized composition. At the reference electrode, the activity of Li+ is fixed by using open reference electrode material. Good reversibility of cell emf was observed for PCO2 ranging from 200 ppm to 20% at 400°C. The cell response was Nernstian, following nearly two-electron reaction. The sensor showed negligible cross-sensitivity to moisture. Developed solid electrolyte not only exhibit shorter response time but also improves over all performance relative to the sensor based on pure carbonate.

Development of micro-heaters with optimized temperature compensation design for gas sensors.

PubMed

Hwang, Woo-Jin; Shin, Kyu-Sik; Roh, Ji-Hyoung; Lee, Dae-Sung; Choa, Sung-Hoon

2011-01-01

One of the key components of a chemical gas sensor is a MEMS micro-heater. Micro-heaters are used in both semiconductor gas sensors and NDIR gas sensors; however they each require different heat dissipation characteristics. For the semiconductor gas sensors, a uniform temperature is required over a wide area of the heater. On the other hand, for the NDIR gas sensor, the micro-heater needs high levels of infrared radiation in order to increase sensitivity. In this study, a novel design of a poly-Si micro-heater is proposed to improve the uniformity of heat dissipation on the heating plate. Temperature uniformity of the micro-heater is achieved by compensating for the variation in power consumption around the perimeter of the heater. With the power compensated design, the uniform heating area is increased by 2.5 times and the average temperature goes up by 40 °C. Therefore, this power compensated micro-heater design is suitable for a semiconductor gas sensor. Meanwhile, the poly-Si micro-heater without compensation shows a higher level of infrared radiation under equal power consumption conditions. This indicates that the micro-heater without compensation is more suitable for a NDIR gas sensor. Furthermore, the micro-heater shows a short response time of less than 20 ms, indicating a very high efficiency of pulse driving.

An Annular Mechanical Temperature Compensation Structure for Gas-Sealed Capacitive Pressure Sensor

PubMed Central

Hao, Xiuchun; Jiang, Yonggang; Takao, Hidekuni; Maenaka, Kazusuke; Higuchi, Kohei

2012-01-01

A novel gas-sealed capacitive pressure sensor with a temperature compensation structure is reported. The pressure sensor is sealed by Au-Au diffusion bonding under a nitrogen ambient with a pressure of 100 kPa and integrated with a platinum resistor-based temperature sensor for human activity monitoring applications. The capacitance-pressure and capacitance-temperature characteristics of the gas-sealed capacitive pressure sensor without temperature compensation structure are calculated. It is found by simulation that a ring-shaped structure on the diaphragm of the pressure sensor can mechanically suppress the thermal expansion effect of the sealed gas in the cavity. Pressure sensors without/with temperature compensation structures are fabricated and measured. Through measured results, it is verified that the calculation model is accurate. Using the compensation structures with a 900 μm inner radius, the measured temperature coefficient is much reduced as compared to that of the pressure sensor without compensation. The sensitivities of the pressure sensor before and after compensation are almost the same in the pressure range from 80 kPa to 100 kPa. PMID:22969385

High-sensitive transmission type of gas sensor based on guided-mode resonance in coupled gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, La; Sang, Tian; Li, Junlang; Zhou, Jianyu; Wang, Benxin; Wang, Yueke

2018-07-01

A new type of high-sensitive transmission gas sensor based on the coupled gratings (CGs) and the corresponding Fabry-Pérot-like (FP-like) model for evaluating the resonance peaks are presented. The estimated locations of the FP-like resonance obtained by this theoretical model are well agreed with those of the exact results. It is shown that a narrow FP-like channel with high transmissivity occurs in the opaque background of the CGs, and its location is shifted linearly with the variation of the refractive index (RI) of the gaseous analyte. The transmission peak of the sideband can be selected as a reference, and it remains nearly fixed as the RI of the analyte is varied. Good sensing properties of the CGs sensor can be maintained, regardless of whether the two grating membranes are laterally aligned or not. The sensitivity of the CGs sensor is immune to the variation of the RI of the substrate. By selecting the higher order FP-like mode (m = 4), sensitivity as high as 748 nm/RIU with the figure of merit of 374 can be achieved.

Solid State Gas Sensor Research in Germany – a Status Report

PubMed Central

Moos, Ralf; Sahner, Kathy; Fleischer, Maximilian; Guth, Ulrich; Barsan, Nicolae; Weimar, Udo

2009-01-01

This status report overviews activities of the German gas sensor research community. It highlights recent progress in the field of potentiometric, amperometric, conductometric, impedimetric, and field effect-based gas sensors. It is shown that besides step-by-step improvements of conventional principles, e.g. by the application of novel materials, novel principles turned out to enable new markets. In the field of mixed potential gas sensors, novel materials allow for selective detection of combustion exhaust components. The same goal can be reached by using zeolites for impedimetric gas sensors. Operando spectroscopy is a powerful tool to learn about the mechanisms in n-type and in p-type conductometric sensors and to design knowledge-based improved sensor devices. Novel deposition methods are applied to gain direct access to the material morphology as well as to obtain dense thick metal oxide films without high temperature steps. Since conductometric and impedimetric sensors have the disadvantage that a current has to pass the gas sensitive film, film morphology, electrode materials, and geometrical issues affect the sensor signal. Therefore, one tries to measure directly the Fermi level position either by measuring the gas-dependent Seebeck coefficient at high temperatures or at room temperature by applying a modified miniaturized Kelvin probe method, where surface adsorption-based work function changes drive the drain-source current of a field effect transistor. PMID:22408529

Highly Sensitive NiO Nanoparticle based Chlorine Gas Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arif, Mohd.; Sanger, Amit; Singh, Arun

2018-03-01

We have synthesized a chemiresistive sensor for chlorine (Cl2) gas in the range of 2-200 ppm based on nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles obtained by wet chemical synthesis. The nanoparticles were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. XRD spectra of the sensing layer revealed the cubic phase of NiO nanoparticles. The NiO nanoparticle size was calculated to be ˜ 21 nm using a Williamson-Hall plot. The bandgap of the NiO nanoparticles was found to be 3.13 eV using Tauc plots of the absorbance curve. Fast response time (12 s) and optimum recovery time (˜ 27 s) were observed for 10 ppm Cl2 gas at moderate temperature of 200°C. These results demonstrate the potential application of NiO nanoparticles for fabrication of highly sensitive and selective sensors for Cl2 gas.

CuO-Decorated ZnO Hierarchical Nanostructures as Efficient and Established Sensing Materials for H2S Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Vuong, Nguyen Minh; Chinh, Nguyen Duc; Huy, Bui The; Lee, Yong-Ill

2016-01-01

Highly sensitive hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas sensors were developed from CuO-decorated ZnO semiconducting hierarchical nanostructures. The ZnO hierarchical nanostructure was fabricated by an electrospinning method following hydrothermal and heat treatment. CuO decoration of ZnO hierarchical structures was carried out by a wet method. The H2S gas-sensing properties were examined at different working temperatures using various quantities of CuO as the variable. CuO decoration of the ZnO hierarchical structure was observed to promote sensitivity for H2S gas higher than 30 times at low working temperature (200 °C) compared with that in the nondecorated hierarchical structure. The sensing mechanism of the hybrid sensor structure is also discussed. The morphology and characteristics of the samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis absorption, photoluminescence (PL), and electrical measurements. PMID:27231026

Ce doped NiO nanoparticles as selective NO2 gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawali, Swati R.; Patil, Vithoba L.; Deonikar, Virendrakumar G.; Patil, Santosh S.; Patil, Deepak R.; Patil, Pramod S.; Pant, Jayashree

2018-03-01

Metal oxide gas sensors are promising portable gas detection devices because of their advantages such as low cost, easy production and compact size. The performance of such sensors is strongly dependent on material properties such as morphology, structure and doping. In the present study, we report the effect of cerium (Ce) doping on nickel oxide (NiO) nano-structured thin film sensors towards various gases. Bare NiO and Ce doped NiO nanoparticles (Ce:NiO) were synthesized by sol-gel method. To understand the effect of Ce doping in nickel oxide, various molar percentages of Ce with respect to nickel were incorporated. The structure, phase, morphology and band-gap energy of as-synthesized nanoparticles were studied by XRD, SEM, EDAX and UV-vis spectroscopy. Thin film gas sensors of all the samples were prepared and subjected to various gases such as LPG, NH3, CH3COCH3 and NO2. A systematic and comparative study reveals an enhanced gas sensing performance of Ce:NiO sensors towards NO2 gas. The maximum sensitivity for NO2 gas is around 0.719% per ppm at moderate operating temperature of 150 °C for 0.5% Ce:NiO thin film gas sensor. The enhanced gas sensing performance for Ce:NiO is attributed to the distortion of crystal lattice caused by doping of Ce into NiO.

Fugitive Methane Gas Emission Monitoring in oil and gas industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klein, Levente

Identifying fugitive methane leaks allow optimization of the extraction process, can extend gas extraction equipment lifetime, and eliminate hazardous work conditions. We demonstrate a wireless sensor network based on cost effective and robust chemi-resistive methane sensors combined with real time analytics to identify leaks from 2 scfh to 10000 scfh. The chemi-resistive sensors were validated for sensitivity better than 1 ppm of methane plume detection. The real time chemical sensor and wind data is integrated into an inversion models to identify the location and the magnitude of the methane leak. This integrated solution can be deployed in outdoor environment formore » long term monitoring of chemical plumes.« less

The Impact of Sepiolite on Sensor Parameters during the Detection of Low Concentrations of Alcohols.

PubMed

Suchorska-Woźniak, Patrycja; Rac, Olga; Fiedot, Marta; Teterycz, Helena

2016-11-09

The article presents the results of the detection of low-concentration C1-C4 alcohols using a planar sensor, in which a sepiolite filter was applied next to the gas-sensitive layer based on tin dioxide. The sepiolite layer is composed of tubes that have a length of several microns, and the diameter of the single tube ranges from several to tens of nanometers. The sepiolite layer itself demonstrated no chemical activity in the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOC), and the passive filter made of this material did not modify the chemical composition of the gaseous atmosphere diffusing to the gas-sensitive layer. The test results revealed that the structural remodelling of the sepiolite that occurs under the influence of temperature, as well as the effect of the filter (a compound with ionic bonds) with molecules of water, has a significant impact on the improvement of the sensitivity of the sensor in relation to volatile organic compounds when compared to the sensor without a filter.

Hollow Waveguide Gas Sensor for Mid-Infrared Trace Gas Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, S; Young, C; Chan, J

2007-07-12

A hollow waveguide mid-infrared gas sensor operating from 1000 cm{sup -1} to 4000 cm{sup -1} has been developed, optimized, and its performance characterized by combining a FT-IR spectrometer with Ag/Ag-halide hollow core optical fibers. The hollow core waveguide simultaneously serves as a light guide and miniature gas cell. CH{sub 4} was used as test analyte during exponential dilution experiments for accurate determination of the achievable limit of detection (LOD). It is shown that the optimized integration of an optical gas sensor module with FT-IR spectroscopy provides trace sensitivity at the few hundreds of parts-per-billion concentration range (ppb, v/v) for CH{submore » 4}.« less

Micro Ethanol Sensors with a Heater Fabricated Using the Commercial 0.18 μm CMOS Process

PubMed Central

Liao, Wei-Zhen; Dai, Ching-Liang; Yang, Ming-Zhi

2013-01-01

The study investigates the fabrication and characterization of an ethanol microsensor equipped with a heater. The ethanol sensor is manufactured using the commercial 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The sensor consists of a sensitive film, a heater and interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film is zinc oxide prepared by the sol-gel method, and it is coated on the interdigitated electrodes. The heater is located under the interdigitated electrodes, and it is used to supply a working temperature to the sensitive film. The sensor needs a post-processing step to remove the sacrificial oxide layer, and to coat zinc oxide on the interdigitated electrodes. When the sensitive film senses ethanol gas, the resistance of the sensor generates a change. An inverting amplifier circuit is utilized to convert the resistance variation of the sensor into the output voltage. Experiments show that the sensitivity of the ethanol sensor is 0.35 mV/ppm. PMID:24072022

Micro ethanol sensors with a heater fabricated using the commercial 0.18 μm CMOS process.

PubMed

Liao, Wei-Zhen; Dai, Ching-Liang; Yang, Ming-Zhi

2013-09-25

The study investigates the fabrication and characterization of an ethanol microsensor equipped with a heater. The ethanol sensor is manufactured using the commercial 0.18 µm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The sensor consists of a sensitive film, a heater and interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film is zinc oxide prepared by the sol-gel method, and it is coated on the interdigitated electrodes. The heater is located under the interdigitated electrodes, and it is used to supply a working temperature to the sensitive film. The sensor needs a post-processing step to remove the sacrificial oxide layer, and to coat zinc oxide on the interdigitated electrodes. When the sensitive film senses ethanol gas, the resistance of the sensor generates a change. An inverting amplifier circuit is utilized to convert the resistance variation of the sensor into the output voltage. Experiments show that the sensitivity of the ethanol sensor is 0.35 mV/ppm.

5A Zirconium Dioxide Ammonia Microsensor Integrated with a Readout Circuit Manufactured Using the 0.18 μm CMOS Process

PubMed Central

Lin, Guan-Ming; Dai, Ching-Liang; Yang, Ming-Zhi

2013-01-01

The study presents an ammonia microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip fabricated using the commercial 0.18 μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The integrated sensor chip consists of a heater, an ammonia sensor and a readout circuit. The ammonia sensor is constructed by a sensitive film and the interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film is zirconium dioxide that is coated on the interdigitated electrodes. The heater is used to provide a working temperature to the sensitive film. A post-process is employed to remove the sacrificial layer and to coat zirconium dioxide on the sensor. When the sensitive film adsorbs or desorbs ammonia gas, the sensor produces a change in resistance. The readout circuit converts the resistance variation of the sensor into the output voltage. The experiments show that the integrated ammonia sensor has a sensitivity of 4.1 mV/ppm. PMID:23503294

Characterization of PLD grown WO3 thin films for gas sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyadjiev, Stefan I.; Georgieva, Velichka; Stefan, Nicolaie; Stan, George E.; Mihailescu, Natalia; Visan, Anita; Mihailescu, Ion N.; Besleaga, Cristina; Szilágyi, Imre M.

2017-09-01

Tungsten trioxide (WO3) thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with the aim to be applied in gas sensors. The films were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and profilometry. To study the gas sensing behavior of these WO3 films, they were deposited on quartz resonators and the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method was applied to analyze their gas sensitivity. Synthesis of tetragonal-WO3 films starting from a target with predominantly monoclinic WO3 phase was observed. The films deposited at 300 °C presented a surface topology favorable for the sorption properties, consisting of a film matrix with protruding craters/cavities. QCM prototype sensors with such films were tested for NO2 sensing. The PLD grown WO3 thin films show good sensitivity and fast reaction at room temperature, even in as-deposited state. With the presented technology, the manufacturing of QCM gas sensors is simple, fast and cost-effective, and it is also suitable for energy-effective portable equipment for on-line monitoring of environmental changes.

Development of a tunable diode laser sensor for measurements of gas turbine exhaust temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Jeffries, J. B.; Hanson, R. K.; Hinckley, K. M.; Woodmansee, M. A.

2006-03-01

A tunable diode laser (TDL) temperature sensor is designed, constructed, tested, and demonstrated in the exhaust of an industrial gas turbine. Temperature is determined from the ratio of the measured absorbance of two water vapor overtone transitions in the near infrared where telecommunication diode lasers are available. Design rules are developed to select the optimal pair of transitions for direct absorption measurements using spectral simulations by systematically examining the absorption strength, spectral isolation, and temperature sensitivity to maximize temperature accuracy in the core flow and minimize sensitivity to water vapor in the cold boundary layer. The contribution to temperature uncertainty from the spectroscopic database is evaluated and precise line-strength data are measured for the selected transitions. Gas-temperature measurements in a heated cell are used to verify the sensor accuracy (over the temperature range of 350 to 1000 K, ΔT˜2 K for the optimal line pair and ΔT˜5 K for an alternative line pair). Field measurements of exhaust-gas temperature in an industrial gas turbine demonstrate the practical utility of TDL sensing in harsh industrial environments.

Catalytic-Metal/PdO(sub x)/SiC Schottky-Diode Gas Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Xu, Jennifer C.; Lukco, Dorothy

2006-01-01

Miniaturized hydrogen- and hydrocarbon-gas sensors, heretofore often consisting of Schottky diodes based on catalytic metal in contact with SiC, can be improved by incorporating palladium oxide (PdOx, where 0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 1) between the catalytic metal and the SiC. In prior such sensors in which the catalytic metal was the alloy PdCr, diffusion and the consequent formation of oxides and silicides of Pd and Cr during operation at high temperature were observed to cause loss of sensitivity. However, it was also observed that any PdOx layers that formed and remained at PdCr/SiC interfaces acted as barriers to diffusion, preventing further deterioration by preventing the subsequent formation of metal silicides. In the present improvement, the lesson learned from these observations is applied by placing PdOx at the catalytic metal/SiC interfaces in a controlled and uniform manner to form stable diffusion barriers that prevent formation of metal silicides. A major advantage of PdOx over other candidate diffusion-barrier materials is that PdOx is a highly stable oxide that can be incorporated into gas sensor structures by use of deposition techniques that are standard in the semiconductor industry. The PdOx layer can be used in a gas sensor structure for improved sensor stability, while maintaining sensitivity. For example, in proof-of-concept experiments, Pt/PdOx/SiC Schottky-diode gas sensors were fabricated and tested. The fabrication process included controlled sputter deposition of PdOx to a thickness of 50 Angstroms on a 400-m-thick SiC substrate, followed by deposition of Pt to a thickness of 450 Angstroms on the PdOx. The SiC substrate (400 microns in thickness) was patterned with photoresist and a Schottky-diode photomask. A lift-off process completed the definition of the Schottky-diode pattern. The sensors were tested by measuring changes in forward currents at a bias potential of 1 V during exposure to H2 in N2 at temperatures ranging from 450 to 600 C for more than 750 hours. The sensors were found to be stable after a break-in time of nearly 200 hours. The sensors exhibited high sensitivity: sensor currents changed by factors ranging from 300 to 800 when the gas was changed from pure N2 to 0.5 percent H2 in N2.

Fast response of carbon monoxide gas sensors using a highly porous network of ZnO nanoparticles decorated on 3D reduced graphene oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ha, Nguyen Hai; Thinh, Dao Duc; Huong, Nguyen Thanh; Phuong, Nguyen Huy; Thach, Phan Duy; Hong, Hoang Si

2018-03-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles loaded onto 3D reduced graphene oxide (3D-RGO) for carbon monoxide (CO) sensing were synthesized using hydrothermal method. The highly porous ZnO/3D-RGO configuration was stable without collapsing and was deposited on the micro-heater of the CO gas sensor. The resulting CO gas sensor displayed high sensitivity, fast response/recovery, and good linearity. The sensor achieved a response value of 85.2% for 1000 ppm CO at a working temperature of 200 °C. The response and recovery times of the sensor were 7 and 9 s for 1000 ppm CO at 200 °C. Similarly, the response value, response time, and recovery time of the sensor at room temperature were 27.5%, 14 s, and 15 s, respectively. The sensor demonstrated a distinct response to various CO concentrations in the range of 1-1000 ppm and good selectivity toward CO gas. In addition, the sensor exhibited good repeatability in multi-cycle and long-term stability.

Highly sensitive NO2 sensor using brush-coated ZnO nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, Lalit; Dwivedi, R.; Mishra, V. N.

2017-10-01

This work reports the sensing properties of a ZnO nanoparticle (NP) based gas sensor. A sol-gel method was used for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles, and a brush coating technique for applying these in a thick film over the gold electrode. The structural properties of the ZnO film so developed have been studied using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), revealing a hexagonal wurtzite structure having particle size of ~25 to ~110 nm and roughness of ~136.303 nm. The sensitivity of the sensor to NO2, H2, CO, ethanol and propanol gases in the temperature range from 150 to 350 °C has been tested. Among all these gases, sensitivity to NO2 was found to be highest, at around fifty times greater than the next highest sensitivity, for ethanol gas. The sensor’s response to NO2 gas has been measured at ~945.12%/ppt (parts per thousand), with fast response time and recovery time at operating temperature 280 °C. The obtained result has been discussed with the help of surface and subsurface adsorption and desorption of NO2 molecules at the available trap sites (oxygen ions) on the ZnO nanoparticle surface. This sensor also exhibits excellent repeatability.

Peptide Modified ZnO Nanoparticles as Gas Sensors Array for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

PubMed Central

Mascini, Marcello; Gaggiotti, Sara; Della Pelle, Flavio; Di Natale, Corrado; Qakala, Sinazo; Iwuoha, Emmanuel; Pittia, Paola; Compagnone, Dario

2018-01-01

In this work a peptide based gas sensor array based of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) has been realized. Four different pentapeptides molecularly modeled for alcohols and esters having cysteine as a common spacer have been immobilized onto ZnONPs. ZnONPs have been morphologically and spectroscopically characterized. Modified nanoparticles have been then deposited onto quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) and used as gas sensors with nitrogen as carrier gas. Analysis of the pure compounds modeled demonstrated a nice fitting of modeling with real data. The peptide based ZnONPs had very low sensitivity to water, compared to previously studied AuNPs peptide based gas sensors allowing the use of the array on samples with high water content. Real samples of fruit juices have been assayed; stability of the signal, good repeatability, and discrimination ability of the array was achieved. PMID:29713626

Peptide Modified ZnO Nanoparticles as Gas Sensors Array for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

PubMed

Mascini, Marcello; Gaggiotti, Sara; Della Pelle, Flavio; Di Natale, Corrado; Qakala, Sinazo; Iwuoha, Emmanuel; Pittia, Paola; Compagnone, Dario

2018-01-01

In this work a peptide based gas sensor array based of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) has been realized. Four different pentapeptides molecularly modeled for alcohols and esters having cysteine as a common spacer have been immobilized onto ZnONPs. ZnONPs have been morphologically and spectroscopically characterized. Modified nanoparticles have been then deposited onto quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) and used as gas sensors with nitrogen as carrier gas. Analysis of the pure compounds modeled demonstrated a nice fitting of modeling with real data. The peptide based ZnONPs had very low sensitivity to water, compared to previously studied AuNPs peptide based gas sensors allowing the use of the array on samples with high water content. Real samples of fruit juices have been assayed; stability of the signal, good repeatability, and discrimination ability of the array was achieved.

Peptide modified ZnO nanoparticles as gas sensors array for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mascini, Marcello; Gaggiotti, Sara; Della Pelle, Flavio; Di Natale, Corrado; Qakala, Sinazo; Iwuoha, Emmanuel; Pittia, Paola; Compagnone, Dario

2018-04-01

In this work a peptide based gas sensor array based of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) has been realized. Four different pentapeptides molecularly modelled for alcohols and esters having cysteine as a common spacer have been immobilized onto ZnONPs. ZnONPs have been morphologically and spectroscopically characterized. Modified nanoparticles have been then deposited onto quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) and used as gas sensors with nitrogen as carrier gas. Analysis of the pure compounds modelled demonstrated a nice fitting of modelling with real data. The peptide based ZnONPs had very low sensitivity to water, compared to previously studied AuNPs peptide based gas sensors allowing the use of the array on samples with high water content. Real samples of fruit juices have been assayed; stability of the signal, good repeatability and discrimination ability of the array was achieved.

Hydrogen gas sensors using a thin Ta2O5 dielectric film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seongjeen

2014-12-01

A capacitive-type hydrogen gas sensor with a MIS (metal-insulator-semiconductor) structure was investigated for high-temperature applications. In this work, a tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) layer of tens of nanometers in thickness formed by oxidizing tantalum film in rapid thermal processing (RTP) was exploited with the purpose of sensitivity improvement. Silicon carbide (SiC), which is good even at high temperatures over 500 °C, was used as the substrate. We fabricated sensors composed of Pd/Ta2O5/SiC, and the dependences of the capacitance response properties and the I-V characteristics on the hydrogen concentration were analyzed from the temperature range of room temperature to 500 °C. As a result, our hydrogen sensor showed promising performance with respect to the sensitivity and the adaptability at high temperature.

Suppression of span in sealed microcavity Fabry-Perot pressure sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Shivam; Rajappa, Balasubramaniam; Chandra, Sudhir

2017-01-01

Optical microelectromechanical system pressure sensors working on the principle of extrinsic Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometer are designed and fabricated for pressure range of 1-bar absolute. Anodic bonding of silicon with glass is performed under atmospheric pressure to form FP cavity. This process results in entrapment of gas in the sealed microcavity. The effect of trapped gas is investigated on sensor characteristics. A closed-loop solution is derived for the deflection of the diaphragm of a sealed microcavity pressure sensor. Phenomenon of "suppression of span" is brought out. The sensors are tested using white light interferometry technique. The residual pressure of the trapped gas is estimated from the experiments. The developed model has been used to estimate the deflection sensitivity of the free diaphragm and the extent of suppression of span after bonding.

A Portable Array-Type Optical Fiber Sensing Instrument for Real-Time Gas Detection

PubMed Central

Hung, San-Shan; Chang, Hsing-Cheng; Chang, I-Nan

2016-01-01

A novel optical fiber array-type of sensing instrument with temperature compensation for real-time detection was developed to measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia simultaneously. The proposed instrument is multi-sensing array integrated with real-time measurement module for portable applications. The sensing optical fibers were etched and polished before coating to increase sensitivities. The ammonia and temperature sensors were each composed of a dye-coated single-mode fiber with constructing a fiber Bragg grating and a long-period filter grating for detecting light intensity. Both carbon dioxide and oxygen sensing structures use multimode fibers where 1-hydroxy-3,6,8-pyrene trisulfonic acid trisodium salt is coated for carbon dioxide sensing and Tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) dichlororuthenium(II) hexahydrate and Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride are coated for oxygen sensing. Gas-induced fluorescent light intensity variation was applied to detect gas concentration. The portable gas sensing array was set up by integrating with photo-electronic measurement modules and a human-machine interface to detect gases in real time. The measured data have been processed using piecewise-linear method. The sensitivity of the oxygen sensor were 1.54%/V and 9.62%/V for concentrations less than 1.5% and for concentrations between 1.5% and 6%, respectively. The sensitivity of the carbon dioxide sensor were 8.33%/V and 9.62%/V for concentrations less than 2% and for concentrations between 2% and 5%, respectively. For the ammonia sensor, the sensitivity was 27.78%/V, while ammonia concentration was less than 2%. PMID:27941636

A Portable Array-Type Optical Fiber Sensing Instrument for Real-Time Gas Detection.

PubMed

Hung, San-Shan; Chang, Hsing-Cheng; Chang, I-Nan

2016-12-08

A novel optical fiber array-type of sensing instrument with temperature compensation for real-time detection was developed to measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia simultaneously. The proposed instrument is multi-sensing array integrated with real-time measurement module for portable applications. The sensing optical fibers were etched and polished before coating to increase sensitivities. The ammonia and temperature sensors were each composed of a dye-coated single-mode fiber with constructing a fiber Bragg grating and a long-period filter grating for detecting light intensity. Both carbon dioxide and oxygen sensing structures use multimode fibers where 1-hydroxy-3,6,8-pyrene trisulfonic acid trisodium salt is coated for carbon dioxide sensing and Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) dichlororuthenium(II) hexahydrate and Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride are coated for oxygen sensing. Gas-induced fluorescent light intensity variation was applied to detect gas concentration. The portable gas sensing array was set up by integrating with photo-electronic measurement modules and a human-machine interface to detect gases in real time. The measured data have been processed using piecewise-linear method. The sensitivity of the oxygen sensor were 1.54%/V and 9.62%/V for concentrations less than 1.5% and for concentrations between 1.5% and 6%, respectively. The sensitivity of the carbon dioxide sensor were 8.33%/V and 9.62%/V for concentrations less than 2% and for concentrations between 2% and 5%, respectively. For the ammonia sensor, the sensitivity was 27.78%/V, while ammonia concentration was less than 2%.

Photonic crystal fiber refractive-index sensor based on multimode interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Zhenfeng; Zhang, Xinpu; Liu, Yun; Liu, Zigeng; Peng, Wei

2014-11-01

We report a type of multimode fiber interferometers (MMI) formed in photonic crystal fiber (PCF). To excite the cladding modes from the fundamental core mode of a PCF, a coupling point is formed. To form the coupling point, we used the method that is blowing compressed gas into the air-holes and discharging at one point, and the air-holes in this point will expand due to gas expansion in the discharge process. By placing two coupling points in series, a very simple all-fiber MMI can be implemented. The detailed fabrication process is that the one end of the PCF is tightly sealed by a short section of single mode fiber (SMF) spliced to the PCF. The other end of the PCF is sealed into a gas chamber and the opened air holes are pressurized. The PCF is then heated locally by the fusion splicer and the holes with higher gas pressure will expand locally where two bubbles formed. We tested the RI responses of fabricated sensors at room temperature by immersing the sensor into solutions with different NaCl concentration. Experimental results show that as refractive-index (RI) increases, the resonance wavelength of the MMI moves toward longer wavelengths. The sensitivity coefficients are estimated by the linear fitting line, which is 46nm/RIU, 154mn/RIU with the interferometer lengths (IL) of 3mm and 6mm. The interferometer with larger IL has higher RI sensitivity. The temperature cross-sensitivity of the sensor is also tested. The temperature sensitivity can be as low as -16.0pm/°C.

Structurally integrated organic light emitting device-based sensors for gas phase and dissolved oxygen.

PubMed

Shinar, Ruth; Zhou, Zhaoqun; Choudhury, Bhaskar; Shinar, Joseph

2006-05-24

A compact photoluminescence (PL)-based O2 sensor utilizing an organic light emitting device (OLED) as the light source is described. The sensor device is structurally integrated. That is, the sensing element and the light source, both typically thin films that are fabricated on separate glass substrates, are attached back-to-back. The sensing elements are based on the oxygen-sensitive dyes Pt- or Pd-octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP or PdOEP, respectively), which are embedded in a polystyrene (PS) matrix, or dissolved in solution. Their performance is compared to that of a sensing element based on tris(4,7-diphenyl-l,10-phenanthroline) Ru II (Ru(dpp)) embedded in a sol-gel film. A green OLED light source, based on tris(8-hydroxy quinoline Al (Alq3), was used to excite the porphyrin dyes; a blue OLED, based on 4,4'-bis(2,2'-diphenylviny1)-1,1'-biphenyl, was used to excite the Ru(dpp)-based sensing element. The O2 level was monitored in the gas phase and in water, ethanol, and toluene solutions by measuring changes in the PL lifetime tau of the O2-sensitive dyes. The sensor performance was evaluated in terms of the detection sensitivity, dynamic range, gas flow rate, and temperature effect, including the temperature dependence of tau in pure Ar and O2 atmospheres. The dependence of the sensitivity on the preparation procedure of the sensing film and on the PS and dye concentrations in the sensing element, whether a solid matrix or solution, were also evaluated. Typical values of the detection sensitivity in the gas phase, S(g) identical with tau(0% O2)/tau(100% O2), at 23 degrees C, were approximately 35 to approximately 50 for the [Alq3 OLED[/[PtOEP dye] pair; S(g) exceeded 200 for the Alq3/PdOEP sensor. For dissolved oxygen (DO) in water and ethanol, S(DO) (defined as the ratio of tau in de-oxygenated and oxygen-saturated solutions) was approximately 9.5 and approximately 11, respectively, using the PtOEP-based film sensor. The oxygen level in toluene was measured with PtOEP dissolved directly in the solution. That sensor exhibited a high sensitivity, but a limited dynamic range. Effects of aggregation of dye molecules, sensing film porosity, and the use of the OLED-based sensor arrays for O2 and multianalyte detection are also discussed.

Intelligent Design of Metal Oxide Gas Sensor Arrays Using Reciprocal Kernel Support Vector Regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dougherty, Andrew W.

Metal oxides are a staple of the sensor industry. The combination of their sensitivity to a number of gases, and the electrical nature of their sensing mechanism, make the particularly attractive in solid state devices. The high temperature stability of the ceramic material also make them ideal for detecting combustion byproducts where exhaust temperatures can be high. However, problems do exist with metal oxide sensors. They are not very selective as they all tend to be sensitive to a number of reduction and oxidation reactions on the oxide's surface. This makes sensors with large numbers of sensors interesting to study as a method for introducing orthogonality to the system. Also, the sensors tend to suffer from long term drift for a number of reasons. In this thesis I will develop a system for intelligently modeling metal oxide sensors and determining their suitability for use in large arrays designed to analyze exhaust gas streams. It will introduce prior knowledge of the metal oxide sensors' response mechanisms in order to produce a response function for each sensor from sparse training data. The system will use the same technique to model and remove any long term drift from the sensor response. It will also provide an efficient means for determining the orthogonality of the sensor to determine whether they are useful in gas sensing arrays. The system is based on least squares support vector regression using the reciprocal kernel. The reciprocal kernel is introduced along with a method of optimizing the free parameters of the reciprocal kernel support vector machine. The reciprocal kernel is shown to be simpler and to perform better than an earlier kernel, the modified reciprocal kernel. Least squares support vector regression is chosen as it uses all of the training points and an emphasis was placed throughout this research for extracting the maximum information from very sparse data. The reciprocal kernel is shown to be effective in modeling the sensor responses in the time, gas and temperature domains, and the dual representation of the support vector regression solution is shown to provide insight into the sensor's sensitivity and potential orthogonality. Finally, the dual weights of the support vector regression solution to the sensor's response are suggested as a fitness function for a genetic algorithm, or some other method for efficiently searching large parameter spaces.

Fluidic hydrogen detector production prototype development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roe, G. W.; Wright, R. E.

1976-01-01

A hydrogen gas sensor that can replace catalytic combustion sensors used to detect leaks in the liquid hydrogen transfer systems at Kennedy Space Center was developed. A fluidic sensor concept, based on the principle that the frequency of a fluidic oscillator is proportional to the square root of the molecular weight of its operating fluid, was utilized. To minimize sensitivity to pressure and temperature fluctuations, and to make the sensor specific for hydrogen, two oscillators are used. One oscillator operates on sample gas containing hydrogen, while the other operates on sample gas with the hydrogen converted to steam. The conversion is accomplished with a small catalytic converter. The frequency difference is taken, and the hydrogen concentration computed with a simple digital processing circuit. The output from the sensor is an analog signal proportional to hydrogen content. The sensor is shown to be accurate and insensitive to severe environmental disturbances. It is also specific for hydrogen, even with large helium concentrations in the sample gas.

Porous palladium coated conducting polymer nanoparticles for ultrasensitive hydrogen sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jun Seop; Kim, Sung Gun; Cho, Sunghun; Jang, Jyongsik

2015-12-01

Hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel, is of key importance to various industrial applications, including fuel cells and in the aerospace and automotive industries. However, hydrogen gas is odorless, colorless, and highly flammable; thus appropriate safety protocol implementation and monitoring are essential. Highly sensitive hydrogen leak detection and surveillance sensor systems are needed; additionally, the ability to maintain uniformity through repetitive hydrogen sensing is becoming increasingly important. In this report, we detail the fabrication of porous palladium coated conducting polymer (3-carboxylate polypyrrole) nanoparticles (Pd@CPPys) to detect hydrogen gas. The Pd@CPPys are produced by means of facile alkyl functionalization and chemical reduction of a pristine 3-carboxylate polypyrrole nanoparticle-contained palladium precursor (PdCl2) solution. The resulting Pd@CPPy-based sensor electrode exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity (0.1 ppm) and stability toward hydrogen gas at room temperature due to the palladium sensing layer.Hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel, is of key importance to various industrial applications, including fuel cells and in the aerospace and automotive industries. However, hydrogen gas is odorless, colorless, and highly flammable; thus appropriate safety protocol implementation and monitoring are essential. Highly sensitive hydrogen leak detection and surveillance sensor systems are needed; additionally, the ability to maintain uniformity through repetitive hydrogen sensing is becoming increasingly important. In this report, we detail the fabrication of porous palladium coated conducting polymer (3-carboxylate polypyrrole) nanoparticles (Pd@CPPys) to detect hydrogen gas. The Pd@CPPys are produced by means of facile alkyl functionalization and chemical reduction of a pristine 3-carboxylate polypyrrole nanoparticle-contained palladium precursor (PdCl2) solution. The resulting Pd@CPPy-based sensor electrode exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity (0.1 ppm) and stability toward hydrogen gas at room temperature due to the palladium sensing layer. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: BET surface area and pore distribution of palladium architectures without CPPyNPs; Hydrogen sensing ability of palladium architectures without CPPyNPs; HR-TEM image of Pd@CPPy_C16 after 100 cycle exposure of H2. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr06193h

Long distance, distributed gas sensing based on micro-nano fiber evanescent wave quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Ying; Ma, Yufei; Tong, Yao; Yu, Xin; Peng, Zhenfang; Gao, Jing; Tittel, Frank K.

2017-12-01

A long distance, distributed gas sensing using the micro-nano fiber evanescent wave (FEW) quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy technique was demonstrated. Such a sensor scheme has the advantages of higher detection sensitivity, distributed gas sensing ability, lower cost, and a simpler fabrication procedure compared to conventional FEW gas sensors using a photonic crystal fiber or a tapered fiber with chemical sputtering. A 3 km single mode fiber with multiple tapers and an erbium doped fiber amplifier with an output optical power of 700 mW were employed to perform long distance, distributed gas measurements.

Enhanced Sensitivity of Wireless Chemical Sensor Based on Love Wave Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wen; Oh, Haekwan; Lee, Keekeun; Yang, Sangsik

2008-09-01

A 440 MHz wireless and passive Love-wave-based chemical sensor was developed for CO2 detection. The developed device was composed of a reflective delay line patterned on 41° YX LiNbO3 piezoelectric substrate, a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) waveguide layer, and Teflon AF 2400 sensitive film. A theoretical model is presented to describe wave propagation in Love wave devices with large piezoelectricity and to allow the design of an optimized structure. In wireless device testing using a network analyzer, infusion of CO2 into the testing chamber induced large phase shifts of the reflection peaks owing to the interaction between the sensing film and the test gas (CO2). Good linearity and repeatability were observed at CO2 concentrations of 0-350 ppm. The obtained sensitivity from the Love wave device was approximately 7.07° ppm-1. The gas response properties of the fabricated Love-wave sensor in terms of linearity and sensitivity were provided, and a comparison to surface acoustic wave devices was also discussed.

Ethanol Microsensors with a Readout Circuit Manufactured Using the CMOS-MEMS Technique

PubMed Central

Yang, Ming-Zhi; Dai, Ching-Liang

2015-01-01

The design and fabrication of an ethanol microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip using the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-microelectro-mechanical system (MEMS) technique are investigated. The ethanol sensor is made up of a heater, a sensitive film and interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film is tin dioxide that is prepared by the sol-gel method. The heater is located under the interdigitated electrodes, and the sensitive film is coated on the interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film needs a working temperature of 220 °C. The heater is employed to provide the working temperature of sensitive film. The sensor generates a change in capacitance when the sensitive film senses ethanol gas. A readout circuit is used to convert the capacitance variation of the sensor into the output frequency. Experiments show that the sensitivity of the ethanol sensor is 0.9 MHz/ppm. PMID:25594598

Ethanol microsensors with a readout circuit manufactured using the CMOS-MEMS technique.

PubMed

Yang, Ming-Zhi; Dai, Ching-Liang

2015-01-14

The design and fabrication of an ethanol microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip using the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-microelectro -mechanical system (MEMS) technique are investigated. The ethanol sensor is made up of a heater, a sensitive film and interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film is tin dioxide that is prepared by the sol-gel method. The heater is located under the interdigitated electrodes, and the sensitive film is coated on the interdigitated electrodes. The sensitive film needs a working temperature of 220 °C. The heater is employed to provide the working temperature of sensitive film. The sensor generates a change in capacitance when the sensitive film senses ethanol gas. A readout circuit is used to convert the capacitance variation of the sensor into the output frequency. Experiments show that the sensitivity of the ethanol sensor is 0.9 MHz/ppm.

An optically detectable CO2 sensor utilizing polyethylenimine and starch functionalized InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. C.; Shih, H. Y.; Chen, J. Y.; Tan, W. J.; Chen, Y. F.

2013-07-01

An optically detectable gas sensor based on the high surface sensitivity of functionalized polyethylenimine/starch In0.15Ga0.85N/GaN strained semiconductor multiple quantum wells (MQWs) has been developed. Due to the excellent piezoelectricity of the MQWs, the change of surface charges caused by chemical interaction can introduce a strain and induce an internal field. In turn, it tilts the energy levels of the MQWs and modifies the optical properties. Through the measurement of the changes in photoluminescence as well as Raman scattering spectra under different concentrations of carbon dioxide gas, we demonstrate the feasibility and high sensitivity of the sensors derived from our methodology.

Carbon materials-functionalized tin dioxide nanoparticles toward robust, high-performance nitrogen dioxide gas sensor.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Liu, Xiupeng; Zhou, Tingting; Wang, Lili; Zhang, Tong

2018-08-15

Carbon (C) materials, which process excellent electrical conductivity and high carrier mobility, are promising sensing materials as active units for gas sensors. However, structural agglomeration caused by chemical processes results in a small resistance change and low sensing response. To address the above issues, structure-derived carbon-coated tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticles having distinct core-shell morphology with a 3D net-like structure and highly uniform size are prepared by careful synthesis and fine structural design. The optimum carbon-coated SnO 2 nanoparticles (SnO 2 /C)-based gas sensor exhibits a low working temperature, excellent selectivity and fast response-recovery properties. In addition, the SnO 2 /C-based gas sensor can maintain a sensitivity to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) of 3 after being cycled 4 times at 140 °C for, suggesting its good long-term stability. The structural integrity, good synergistic properties, and high gas-sensing performance of SnO 2 /C render it a promising sensing material for advanced gas sensors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploitation of Unique Properties of Zeolites in the Development of Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Zheng, Yangong; Li, Xiaogan; Dutta, Prabir K.

2012-01-01

The unique properties of microporous zeolites, including ion-exchange properties, adsorption, molecular sieving, catalysis, conductivity have been exploited in improving the performance of gas sensors. Zeolites have been employed as physical and chemical filters to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of gas sensors. In addition, direct interaction of gas molecules with the extraframework cations in the nanoconfined space of zeolites has been explored as a basis for developing new impedance-type gas/vapor sensors. In this review, we summarize how these properties of zeolites have been used to develop new sensing paradigms. There is a considerable breadth of transduction processes that have been used for zeolite incorporated sensors, including frequency measurements, optical and the entire gamut of electrochemical measurements. It is clear from the published literature that zeolites provide a route to enhance sensor performance, and it is expected that commercial manifestation of some of the approaches discussed here will take place. The future of zeolite-based sensors will continue to exploit its unique properties and use of other microporous frameworks, including metal organic frameworks. Zeolite composites with electronic materials, including metals will lead to new paradigms in sensing. Use of nano-sized zeolite crystals and zeolite membranes will enhance sensor properties and make possible new routes of miniaturized sensors. PMID:22666081

High-sensitive nitrogen dioxide and ethanol gas sensor using a reduced graphene oxide-loaded double split ring resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Sandeep Kumar; Azad, Prakrati; Akhtar, M. J.; Kar, Kamal K.

2017-08-01

A reduced graphene oxide (rGO) incorporated double split ring resonator (DSRR) portable microwave gas sensor is proposed in this work. The sensor is fabricated using two major steps: the DSRR is fabricated on the FR-4 substrate, which is excited by a high impedance microstrip line. The rGO is synthesized via a chemical route and coated inside the smaller ring of the DSRR. The SEM micrographs reveal crumpled sheets of rGO that provide a large surface area, and the XRD patterns of the as-synthesized rGO reveal the two-dimensional structure of the rGO nanosheets. The sensor performance is measured at room temperature using 100-400 ppm of ethanol and NO2 target gases. At 400 ppm, the sensor reveals a shift of 420 and 390 MHz in the S 21 frequency for NO2 and ethanol gases, respectively. The frequency shifts of 130 and 120 MHz in the S 21 resonance frequency are obtained for NO2 and ethanol gases, respectively, at a very low concentration of 100 ppm. The high sensitivity of the proposed rGO gas sensor is achieved due to the combined effect of the large surface area of the rGO responsible for accommodating more gas molecules, and its increased conductivity due to the transfer of the electron from the rGO. Moreover, an exceedingly short response time is observed for NO2 in comparison to ethanol, which allows the proposed sensor to be used for the selective detection of NO2 in a harsh environment. The overall approach used in this study is quite simple, and has great potential to enhance the gas detection behaviour of rGO.

Downhole pressure sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berdahl, C. M.

1980-01-01

Sensor remains accurate in spite of varying temperatures. Very accurate, sensitive, and stable downhole pressure measurements are needed for vaiety of reservoir engineering applications, such as deep petroleum reservoirs, especially gas reservoirs, and in areas of high geothermal gradient.

Shape control of Co3O4 micro-structures for high-performance gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Qu; Zeng, Wen

2018-01-01

Recently, spinel cobalt oxide (Co3O4) structure has been widely investigated due to its excellent sensitivity towards various noxious gases and good response/recovery speed at low concentration. In this work, we designed and synthesized two kinds of different Co3O4 micro-structure (cube and octahedron) with a similar size. After fabricating them into gas sensors, we found that the crystal plane structure of Co3O4 has an important effect on its gas sensing performance. Furthermore, the {111} planes of Co3O4may be more sensitive than {100} planes to various testing gases. Co3O4 octahedrons micro-structure exhibits an excellent sensitivity (about 12.6), good response/recovery speed and cycling stability (no decline even after 2 days) under 50 ppm ethanol gases at working temperature of 200 °C. As such, thisCo3O4 octahedrons micro-structure is a promising candidate for a high-performance gas sensing material.

Sensitive Capacitive-type Hydrogen Sensor Based on Ni Thin Film in Different Hydrogen Concentrations.

PubMed

Pour, Ghobad Behzadi; Aval, Leila Fekri; Eslami, Shahnaz

2018-04-01

Hydrogen sensors are micro/nano-structure that are used to locate hydrogen leaks. They are considered to have fast response/recovery time and long lifetime as compared to conventional gas sensors. In this paper, fabrication of sensitive capacitive-type hydrogen gas sensor based on Ni thin film has been investigated. The C-V curves of the sensor in different hydrogen concentrations have been reported. Dry oxidation was done in thermal chemical vapor deposition furnace (TCVD). For oxidation time of 5 min, the oxide thickness was 15 nm and for oxidation time 10 min, it was 20 nm. The Ni thin film as a catalytic metal was deposited on the oxide film using electron gun deposition. Two MOS sensors were compared with different oxide film thickness and different hydrogen concentrations. The highest response of the two MOS sensors with 15 nm and 20 nm oxide film thickness in 4% hydrogen concentration was 87.5% and 65.4% respectively. The fast response times for MOS sensors with 15 nm and 20 nm oxide film thickness in 4% hydrogen concentration was 8 s and 21 s, respectively. By increasing the hydrogen concentration from 1% to 4%, the response time for MOS sensor (20nm oxide thickness), was decreased from 28s to 21s. The recovery time was inversely increased from 237s to 360s. The experimental results showed that the MOS sensor based on Ni thin film had a quick response and a high sensitivity.

Development and comparative investigation of Ag-sensitive layer based SAW and QCM sensors for mercury sensing applications.

PubMed

Kabir, K M Mohibul; Sabri, Ylias M; Kandjani, Ahmad Esmaielzadeh; Ippolito, Samuel J; Bhargava, Suresh K

2016-04-21

Piezoelectric acoustic wave devices integrated with noble metal surfaces provide exciting prospects for the direct measurement of toxic gas species such as mercury (Hg) in the atmosphere. Even though gold (Au) based acoustic wave sensors have been utilized extensively for detecting Hg, the potential of using other metal surfaces such as silver (Ag) is yet to be thoroughly studied. Here, we developed Ag sensitive layer-based surface acoustic wave (SAW) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors and focused on their comparative analysis for Hg sensing applications with parameters such as the sensor sensitivity, selectivity, adsorption/desorption isotherm and Hg diffusion into the surface thoroughly studied. The SAW sensor was fabricated with nickel (Ni) interdigitated transducer (IDT) electrodes and a Ag thin film on the delay line of the device. In the case of the QCM sensor, the electrodes were constructed of Ag thin film and simultaneously employed as a sensitive layer. Mercury sensing experiments were conducted for a range of concentrations between 24-365 ppbv without/with the presence of some common industrial interfering gas species (i.e. ammonia, acetaldehyde, ethyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulphide, methyl ethyl ketone and humidity) at various operating temperatures in the range of 35-95 °C. The SAW sensor was found to possess up to 70 times higher response magnitudes than its QCM counterpart at 35 °C while up to 30 and 23 times higher response magnitudes were observed for the SAW sensor at elevated temperatures of 75 and 95 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the SAW sensor showed good selectivity (>89%) toward Hg(0) vapor in the presence of all the interferents tested at an operating temperature of 75 °C while the QCM sensor exhibited significant cross-sensitivity when ethyl mercaptan was introduced along with Hg(0) vapor. Overall, it is indicative that Ag-based acoustic wave sensors do have great potential for Hg sensing applications, given that right operating conditions are applied.

Accelerating Gas Adsorption on 3D Percolating Carbon Nanotubes.

PubMed

Li, Hui; Wen, Chenyu; Zhang, Youwei; Wu, Dongping; Zhang, Shi-Li; Qiu, Zhi-Jun

2016-02-18

In the field of electronic gas sensing, low-dimensional semiconductors such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can offer high detection sensitivity owing to their unprecedentedly large surface-to-volume ratio. The sensitivity and responsivity can further improve by increasing their areal density. Here, an accelerated gas adsorption is demonstrated by exploiting volumetric effects via dispersion of SWCNTs into a percolating three-dimensional (3D) network in a semiconducting polymer. The resultant semiconducting composite film is evaluated as a sensing membrane in field effect transistor (FET) sensors. In order to attain reproducible characteristics of the FET sensors, a pulsed-gate-bias measurement technique is adopted to eliminate current hysteresis and drift of sensing baseline. The rate of gas adsorption follows the Langmuir-type isotherm as a function of gas concentration and scales with film thickness. This rate is up to 5 times higher in the composite than only with an SWCNT network in the transistor channel, which in turn results in a 7-fold shorter time constant of adsorption with the composite. The description of gas adsorption developed in the present work is generic for all semiconductors and the demonstrated composite with 3D percolating SWCNTs dispersed in functional polymer represents a promising new type of material for advanced gas sensors.

Electrochemical high-temperature gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saruhan, B.; Stranzenbach, M.; Yüce, A.; Gönüllü, Y.

2012-06-01

Combustion produced common air pollutant, NOx associates with greenhouse effects. Its high temperature detection is essential for protection of nature. Component-integration capable high-temperature sensors enable the control of combustion products. The requirements are quantitative detection of total NOx and high selectivity at temperatures above 500°C. This study reports various approaches to detect NO and NO2 selectively under lean and humid conditions at temperatures from 300°C to 800°C. All tested electrochemical sensors were fabricated in planar design to enable componentintegration. We suggest first an impedance-metric gas sensor for total NOx-detection consisting of NiO- or NiCr2O4-SE and PYSZ-electrolyte. The electrolyte-layer is about 200μm thickness and constructed of quasi-single crystalline columns. The sensing-electrode (SE) is magnetron sputtered thin-layers of NiO or NiCr2O4. Sensor sensitivity for detection of total NOx has been measured by applying impedance analysis. The cross-sensitivity to other emission gases such as CO, CO2, CH4 and oxygen (5 vol.%) has been determined under 0-1000ppm NO. Sensor maintains its high sensitivity at temperatures up to 550°C and 600°C, depending on the sensing-electrode. NiO-SE yields better selectivity to NO in the presence of oxygen and have shorter response times comparing to NiCr2O4-SE. For higher temperature NO2-sensing capability, a resistive DC-sensor having Al-doped TiO2-sensing layers has been employed. Sensor-sensitivity towards NO2 and cross-sensitivity to CO has been determined in the presence of H2O at temperatures 600°C and 800°C. NO2 concentrations varying from 25 to 100ppm and CO concentrations from 25 to 75ppm can be detected. By nano-tubular structuring of TiO2, NO2 sensitivity of the sensor was increased.

Electrospray-printed nanostructured graphene oxide gas sensors.

PubMed

Taylor, Anthony P; Velásquez-García, Luis F

2015-12-18

We report low-cost conductometric gas sensors that use an ultrathin film made of graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes as transducing element. The devices were fabricated by lift-off metallization and near-room temperature, atmospheric pressure electrospray printing using a shadow mask. The sensors are sensitive to reactive gases at room temperature without requiring any post heat treatment, harsh chemical reduction, or doping with metal nanoparticles. The sensors' response to humidity at atmospheric pressure tracks that of a commercial sensor, and is linear with changes in humidity in the 10%-60% relative humidity range while consuming <6 μW. Devices with GO layers printed by different deposition recipes yielded nearly identical response characteristics, suggesting that intrinsic properties of the film control the sensing mechanism. The gas sensors successfully detected ammonia at concentrations down to 500 ppm (absolute partial pressure of ∼5 × 10(-4) T) at ∼1 T pressure, room temperature conditions. The sensor technology can be used in a great variety of applications including air conditioning and sensing of reactive gas species in vacuum lines and abatement systems.

The Effect of Film Thickness on the Gas Sensing Properties of Ultra-Thin TiO2 Films Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition

PubMed Central

Wilson, Rachel L.; Blackman, Christopher S.; Carmalt, Claire J.; Stanoiu, Adelina; Di Maggio, Francesco

2018-01-01

Analyte sensitivity for gas sensors based on semiconducting metal oxides should be highly dependent on the film thickness, particularly when that thickness is on the order of the Debye length. This thickness dependence has previously been demonstrated for SnO2 and inferred for TiO2. In this paper, TiO2 thin films have been prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) using titanium isopropoxide and water as precursors. The deposition process was performed on standard alumina gas sensor platforms and microscope slides (for analysis purposes), at a temperature of 200 °C. The TiO2 films were exposed to different concentrations of CO, CH4, NO2, NH3 and SO2 to evaluate their gas sensitivities. These experiments showed that the TiO2 film thickness played a dominant role within the conduction mechanism and the pattern of response for the electrical resistance towards CH4 and NH3 exposure indicated typical n-type semiconducting behavior. The effect of relative humidity on the gas sensitivity has also been demonstrated. PMID:29494504

Ionization Gas Sensor using Aligned Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Array

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kermany, A. R.; Mohamed, N. M.; Singh, B. S. M.

2011-05-25

The challenge with current conventional gas sensors which are operating using semiconducting oxides is their size. After the introduction of nanotechnology and in order to reduce the dimension and consequently the power consumption and cost, new materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are being introduced. From previous works and characterization results, it was proven that the CNTs based gas sensor has better sensitivity, selectivity and faster response time in compared with semiconducting oxides based gas sensors. As in this work, a fabrication and successful testing of an ionization-based gas sensor using aligned Multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs) as sensing element is discussed,more » in which MWCNTs array and Al film are used as anode and cathode plates respectively with electrode separation ranging from 80 {mu}m to 140 {mu}m. Aligned MWCNTs array was incorporated into a sensor configuration in the gas chamber for testing of gases such as argon, air, and mixed gas of 2%H{sub 2} in air. Obtained results show that among the three gases, argon has the lowest breakdown voltage whilst air has the highest value and the breakdown voltage was found to decrease as the electrode spacing was reduced from 140 {mu}m to 80 {mu}m for all three gases.« less

Formaldehyde gas sensor based on TiO2 thin membrane integrated with nano silicon structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xuan; Ming, An-jie; Ye, Li; Chen, Feng-hua; Sun, Xi-long; Liu, Wei-bing; Li, Chao-bo; Ou, Wen; Wang, Wei-bing; Chen, Da-peng

2016-07-01

An innovative formaldehyde gas sensor based on thin membrane type metal oxide of TiO2 layer was designed and fabricated. This sensor under ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED) illumination exhibits a higher response to formaldehyde than that without UV illumination at low temperature. The sensitivities of the sensor under steady working condition were calculated for different gas concentrations. The sensitivity to formaldehyde of 7.14 mg/m3 is about 15.91 under UV illumination with response time of 580 s and recovery time of 500 s. The device was fabricated through micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) processing technology. First, plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) was adopted to form black polysilicon, then a nanoscale TiO2 membrane with thickness of 53 nm was deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering to obtain the sensing layer. By such fabrication approaches, the nanoscale polysilicon presents continuous rough surface with thickness of 50 nm, which could improve the porosity of the sensing membrane. The fabrication process can be mass-produced for the MEMS process compatibility.

Fast-Response, Sensitivitive and Low-Powered Chemosensors by Fusing Nanostructured Porous Thin Film and IDEs-Microheater Chip

PubMed Central

Dai, Zhengfei; Xu, Lei; Duan, Guotao; Li, Tie; Zhang, Hongwen; Li, Yue; Wang, Yi; Wang, Yuelin; Cai, Weiping

2013-01-01

The chemiresistive thin film gas sensors with fast response, high sensitivity, low power consumption and mass-produced potency, have been expected for practical application. It requires both sensitive materials, especially exquisite nanomaterials, and efficient substrate chip for heating and electrical addressing. However, it is challenging to achieve repeatable microstructures across the films and low power consumption of substrate chip. Here we presented a new sensor structure via the fusion of metal-oxide nanoporous films and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based sensing chip. An interdigital-electrodes (IDEs) and microheater integrated MEMS structure is designed and employed as substrate chip to in-situ fabricate colloidal monolayer template-induced metal-oxide (egg. SnO2) nanoporous sensing films. This fused sensor demonstrates mW-level low power, ultrafast response (~1 s), and parts-per-billion lever detection for ethanol gas. Due to the controllable template strategy and mass-production potential, such micro/nano fused high-performance gas sensors will be next-generation key miniaturized/integrated devices for advanced practical applications. PMID:23591580

Rapid and selective detection of acetone using hierarchical ZnO gas sensor for hazardous odor markers application.

PubMed

Jia, Qianqian; Ji, Huiming; Zhang, Ying; Chen, Yalu; Sun, Xiaohong; Jin, Zhengguo

2014-07-15

Hierarchical nanostructured ZnO dandelion-like spheres were synthesized via solvothermal reaction at 200°C for 4h. The products were pure hexagonal ZnO with large exposure of (002) polar facet. Side-heating gas sensor based on hierarchical ZnO spheres was prepared to evaluate the acetone gas sensing properties. The detection limit to acetone for the ZnO sensor is 0.25ppm. The response (Ra/Rg) toward 100ppm acetone was 33 operated at 230°C and the response time was as short as 3s. The sensor exhibited remarkable acetone selectivity with negligible response toward other hazardous gases and water vapor. The high proportion of electron depletion region and oxygen vacancies contributed to high gas response sensitivity. The hollow and porous structure of dandelion-like ZnO spheres facilitated the diffusion of gas molecules, leading to a rapid response speed. The largely exposed (002) polar facets could adsorb acetone gas molecules easily and efficiently, resulting in a rapid response speed and good selectivity of hierarchical ZnO spheres gas sensor at low operating temperature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultra-sensitive all-fibre photothermal spectroscopy with large dynamic range

PubMed Central

Jin, Wei; Cao, Yingchun; Yang, Fan; Ho, Hoi Lut

2015-01-01

Photothermal interferometry is an ultra-sensitive spectroscopic means for trace chemical detection in gas- and liquid-phase materials. Previous photothermal interferometry systems used free-space optics and have limitations in efficiency of light–matter interaction, size and optical alignment, and integration into photonic circuits. Here we exploit photothermal-induced phase change in a gas-filled hollow-core photonic bandgap fibre, and demonstrate an all-fibre acetylene gas sensor with a noise equivalent concentration of 2 p.p.b. (2.3 × 10−9 cm−1 in absorption coefficient) and an unprecedented dynamic range of nearly six orders of magnitude. The realization of photothermal interferometry with low-cost near infrared semiconductor lasers and fibre-based technology allows a class of optical sensors with compact size, ultra sensitivity and selectivity, applicability to harsh environment, and capability for remote and multiplexed multi-point detection and distributed sensing. PMID:25866015

High-performance gas sensors with temperature measurement

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yong; Li, Shengtao; Zhang, Jingyuan; Pan, Zhigang; Min, Daomin; Li, Xin; Song, Xiaoping; Liu, Junhua

2013-01-01

There are a number of gas ionization sensors using carbon nanotubes as cathode or anode. Unfortunately, their applications are greatly limited by their multi-valued sensitivity, one output value corresponding to several measured concentration values. Here we describe a triple-electrode structure featuring two electric fields with opposite directions, which enable us to overcome the multi-valued sensitivity problem at 1 atm in a wide range of gas concentrations. We used a carbon nanotube array as the first electrode, and the two electric fields between the upper and the lower interelectrode gaps were designed to extract positive ions generated in the upper gap, hence significantly reduced positive ion bombardment on the nanotube electrode, which allowed us to maintain a high electric field near the nanotube tips, leading to a single-valued sensitivity and a long nanotube life. We have demonstrated detection of various gases and simultaneously monitoring temperature, and a potential for applications. PMID:23405281

Semiconducting Metal Oxide Based Sensors for Selective Gas Pollutant Detection

PubMed Central

Kanan, Sofian M.; El-Kadri, Oussama M.; Abu-Yousef, Imad A.; Kanan, Marsha C.

2009-01-01

A review of some papers published in the last fifty years that focus on the semiconducting metal oxide (SMO) based sensors for the selective and sensitive detection of various environmental pollutants is presented. PMID:22408500

Advances in Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide, and Hydrocarbon Gas Sensor Technology Using GaN and ZnO-Based Devices

PubMed Central

Anderson, Travis; Ren, Fan; Pearton, Stephen; Kang, Byoung Sam; Wang, Hung-Ta; Chang, Chih-Yang; Lin, Jenshan

2009-01-01

In this paper, we review our recent results in developing gas sensors for hydrogen using various device structures, including ZnO nanowires and GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs). ZnO nanowires are particularly interesting because they have a large surface area to volume ratio, which will improve sensitivity, and because they operate at low current levels, will have low power requirements in a sensor module. GaN-based devices offer the advantage of the HEMT structure, high temperature operation, and simple integration with existing fabrication technology and sensing systems. Improvements in sensitivity, recoverability, and reliability are presented. Also reported are demonstrations of detection of other gases, including CO2 and C2H4 using functionalized GaN HEMTs. This is critical for the development of lab-on-a-chip type systems and can provide a significant advance towards a market-ready sensor application. PMID:22408548

UV-enhanced CO sensing using Ga 2O 3-based nanorod arrays at elevated temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Hui-Jan; Gao, Haiyong; Gao, Pu-Xian

Monitoring and control of gaseous combustion process are critically important in advanced energy systems such as power plants, gas turbines, and automotive engines. However, very limited gas sensing solutions are available in the market for such application due to the inherent high temperature of combustion gaseous atmosphere. In this study, we fabricated and demonstrated high-performance metal oxide based nanorod array sensors assisted with ultra-violet (UV) illumination for in situ and real-time high-temperature gas detection. Without UV-illumination, it was found surface decoration of either 5 nm LSFO or 1 nm Pt nanoparticles can enhance the sensitivity over CO at 500 °Cmore » by an order of magnitude. Under the 254 nm UV illumination, CO gas-sensing performance of Ga 2O 3-based nanorod array sensors was further enhanced with the sensitivity boosted by 125 %, and the response time reduced by 30 % for La 0.8Sr 0.2FeO 3(LSFO)-decorated sample. The UV-enhanced detecting of CO might be due to the increased population of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. While for LSFO-decorated nanorod array sensor under UV illumination, the enhancement is through a combination of sensitizing effect and photocurrent effect.« less

Ionic Liquid Microstrips Impregnated with Magnetic Nanostirrers for Sensitive Gas Sensors.

PubMed

Gondosiswanto, Richard; Hibbert, D Brynn; Fang, Yu; Zhao, Chuan

2017-12-13

Ionic liquids (IL) have been regarded as promising electrolytes as substitutes for volatile aqueous or organic solvents for electrochemical gas sensors. However, ILs are viscous, and the slow diffusion of gas molecules leads to poor sensitivity and sluggish response times. Herein, we describe a strategy using an array of microstrips of IL containing magnetic nanoparticles as nanostirrers for enhanced mass transport and gas sensing. Magnetic CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles are synthesized and dispersed in a hydrophobic IL [BMP][Ntf 2 ]. First, the convection effect of the IL dispersion was studied using the reversible redox couple ferrocene/ferrocenium ion. In a rotating magnetic field, steady-state currents for oxidation of dissolved ferrocene are three to five times greater than that in an unstirred solution. Then, the IL dispersion is micropatterned onto a gold electrode using microcontact printing. A self-assembled monolayer was printed onto a gold surface creating 70 μm wide hydrophobic lines with a 30 μm gap between them. Upon applying the IL dispersion into the gap, a 30 μm wide array of microstrips was successfully fabricated. The system is demonstrated as an oxygen sensor in the range of volume fraction of O 2 of 50-500 ppm giving a linear calibration with a sensitivity of 1.94 nA cm -2 ppm -1 .

Detecting Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) at Room Temperature Using ZnSnO3/ZnO Nanowire Piezo-Nanogenerator as Self-Powered Gas Sensor.

PubMed

Fu, Yongming; Nie, Yuxin; Zhao, Yayu; Wang, Penglei; Xing, Lili; Zhang, Yan; Xue, Xinyu

2015-05-20

High sensitivity, selectivity, and reliability have been achieved from ZnSnO3/ZnO nanowire (NW) piezo-nanogenerator (NG) as self-powered gas sensor (SPGS) for detecting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at room temperature (RT). After being exposed to 8000 ppm LPG, the output piezo-voltage of ZnSnO3/ZnO NW SPGS under compressive deformation is 0.089 V, much smaller than that in air ambience (0.533 V). The sensitivity of the SPGS against 8000 ppm LPG is up to 83.23, and the low limit of detection is 600 ppm. The SPGS has lower sensitivity against H2S, H2, ethanol, methanol and saturated water vapor than LPG, indicating good selectivity for detecting LPG. After two months, the decline of the sensing performance is less than 6%. Such piezo-LPG sensing at RT can be ascribed to the new piezo-surface coupling effect of ZnSnO3/ZnO nanocomposites. The practical application of the device driven by human motion has also been simply demonstrated. This work provides a novel approach to fabricate RT-LPG sensors and promotes the development of self-powered sensing system.

UV-enhanced CO sensing using Ga 2O 3-based nanorod arrays at elevated temperature

DOE PAGES

Lin, Hui-Jan; Gao, Haiyong; Gao, Pu-Xian

2017-01-23

Monitoring and control of gaseous combustion process are critically important in advanced energy systems such as power plants, gas turbines, and automotive engines. However, very limited gas sensing solutions are available in the market for such application due to the inherent high temperature of combustion gaseous atmosphere. In this study, we fabricated and demonstrated high-performance metal oxide based nanorod array sensors assisted with ultra-violet (UV) illumination for in situ and real-time high-temperature gas detection. Without UV-illumination, it was found surface decoration of either 5 nm LSFO or 1 nm Pt nanoparticles can enhance the sensitivity over CO at 500 °Cmore » by an order of magnitude. Under the 254 nm UV illumination, CO gas-sensing performance of Ga 2O 3-based nanorod array sensors was further enhanced with the sensitivity boosted by 125 %, and the response time reduced by 30 % for La 0.8Sr 0.2FeO 3(LSFO)-decorated sample. The UV-enhanced detecting of CO might be due to the increased population of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. While for LSFO-decorated nanorod array sensor under UV illumination, the enhancement is through a combination of sensitizing effect and photocurrent effect.« less

Grapefruit photonic crystal fiber long period gratings sensor for DNT sensing application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Chuanyi; Li, Jingke; Zhu, Tenglong

2016-10-01

The detection of explosives and their residues is of great importance in public health, antiterrorism and homeland security applications. The vapor pressures of most explosive compounds are extremely low and attenuation of the available vapor is often great due to diffusion in the environment, making direct vapor detection difficult. In reality bomb dogs are still the most efficient way to quickly detect explosives on the spot. Many formulations of TNT-based explosives contain DNT residues. The use of long period gratings (LPGs) formed in grapefruit photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with thin-film overlay coated on the inner surface of air holes for gas sensing is demonstrated. A gas analyteinduced index variation of the thin-film immobilized on the inner surface of the holey region of the fiber can be observed by a shift of the resonance wavelength. We demonstrate a 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) sensor using grapefruit PCF-LPGs. Coating with gas-sensitive thin-film on the inner surface of the air holes of the grapefruit PCF-LPG could provide a promising platform for rapid highly sensitive gas sensing. A rapid and highly sensitive detection of DNT has been demonstrated using the grapefruit PCF-LPG sensor to show the feasibility of the proposed approach.

UV-enhanced CO sensing using Ga2O3-based nanorod arrays at elevated temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hui-Jan; Gao, Haiyong; Gao, Pu-Xian

2017-01-01

Monitoring and control of the gaseous combustion process are critically important in advanced energy systems such as power plants, gas turbines, and automotive engines. However, very limited gas sensing solutions are available in the market for such applications due to the inherent high temperature of the combustion gaseous atmosphere. In this study, we fabricated and demonstrated high-performance metal oxide based nanorod array sensors assisted with ultra-violet (UV) illumination for in situ and real-time high-temperature gas detection. Without UV-illumination, it was found that surface decoration of either 5 nm LSFO or 1 nm Pt nanoparticles can enhance the sensitivity over CO at 500 °C by an order of magnitude. Under the 254 nm UV illumination, the CO gas-sensing performance of Ga2O3-based nanorod array sensors was further enhanced with the sensitivity boosted by 125% and the response time reduced by 30% for the La0.8Sr0.2FeO3(LSFO)-decorated sample. The UV-enhanced detection of CO might be due to the increased population of photo-induced electron-hole pairs, whereas for LSFO-decorated nanorod array sensor under UV illumination, the enhancement is through a combination of the sensitizing effect and photocurrent effect.

Dual Mode NOx Sensor: Measuring Both the Accumulated Amount and Instantaneous Level at Low Concentrations

PubMed Central

Groß, Andrea; Beulertz, Gregor; Marr, Isabella; Kubinski, David J.; Visser, Jaco H.; Moos, Ralf

2012-01-01

The accumulating-type (or integrating-type) NOx sensor principle offers two operation modes to measure low levels of NOx: The direct signal gives the total amount dosed over a time interval and its derivative the instantaneous concentration. With a linear sensor response, no baseline drift, and both response times and recovery times in the range of the gas exchange time of the test bench (5 to 7 s), the integrating sensor is well suited to reliably detect low levels of NOx. Experimental results are presented demonstrating the sensor’s integrating properties for the total amount detection and its sensitivity to both NO and to NO2. We also show the correlation between the derivative of the sensor signal and the known gas concentration. The long-term detection of NOx in the sub-ppm range (e.g., for air quality measurements) is discussed. Additionally, a self-adaption of the measurement range taking advantage of the temperature dependency of the sensitivity is addressed. PMID:22736980

A customized metal oxide semiconductor-based gas sensor array for onion quality evaluation: system development and characterization.

PubMed

Konduru, Tharun; Rains, Glen C; Li, Changying

2015-01-12

A gas sensor array, consisting of seven Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) sensors that are sensitive to a wide range of organic volatile compounds was developed to detect rotten onions during storage. These MOS sensors were enclosed in a specially designed Teflon chamber equipped with a gas delivery system to pump volatiles from the onion samples into the chamber. The electronic circuit mainly comprised a microcontroller, non-volatile memory chip, and trickle-charge real time clock chip, serial communication chip, and parallel LCD panel. User preferences are communicated with the on-board microcontroller through a graphical user interface developed using LabVIEW. The developed gas sensor array was characterized and the discrimination potential was tested by exposing it to three different concentrations of acetone (ketone), acetonitrile (nitrile), ethyl acetate (ester), and ethanol (alcohol). The gas sensor array could differentiate the four chemicals of same concentrations and different concentrations within the chemical with significant difference. Experiment results also showed that the system was able to discriminate two concentrations (196 and 1964 ppm) of methlypropyl sulfide and two concentrations (145 and 1452 ppm) of 2-nonanone, two key volatile compounds emitted by rotten onions. As a proof of concept, the gas sensor array was able to achieve 89% correct classification of sour skin infected onions. The customized low-cost gas sensor array could be a useful tool to detect onion postharvest diseases in storage.

A Customized Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Based Gas Sensor Array for Onion Quality Evaluation: System Development and Characterization

PubMed Central

Konduru, Tharun; Rains, Glen C.; Li, Changying

2015-01-01

A gas sensor array, consisting of seven Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) sensors that are sensitive to a wide range of organic volatile compounds was developed to detect rotten onions during storage. These MOS sensors were enclosed in a specially designed Teflon chamber equipped with a gas delivery system to pump volatiles from the onion samples into the chamber. The electronic circuit mainly comprised a microcontroller, non-volatile memory chip, and trickle-charge real time clock chip, serial communication chip, and parallel LCD panel. User preferences are communicated with the on-board microcontroller through a graphical user interface developed using LabVIEW. The developed gas sensor array was characterized and the discrimination potential was tested by exposing it to three different concentrations of acetone (ketone), acetonitrile (nitrile), ethyl acetate (ester), and ethanol (alcohol). The gas sensor array could differentiate the four chemicals of same concentrations and different concentrations within the chemical with significant difference. Experiment results also showed that the system was able to discriminate two concentrations (196 and 1964 ppm) of methlypropyl sulfide and two concentrations (145 and 1452 ppm) of 2-nonanone, two key volatile compounds emitted by rotten onions. As a proof of concept, the gas sensor array was able to achieve 89% correct classification of sour skin infected onions. The customized low-cost gas sensor array could be a useful tool to detect onion postharvest diseases in storage. PMID:25587975

Zinc oxide doped graphene oxide films for gas sensing applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chetna,, E-mail: chetna2288@gmail.com; Kumar, Shani; Chaudhary, S.

Graphene Oxide (GO) is analogous to graphene, but presence of many functional groups makes its physical and chemical properties essentially different from those of graphene. GO is found to be a promising material for low cost fabrication of highly versatile and environment friendly gas sensors. Selectivity, reversibility and sensitivity of GO based gas sensor have been improved by hybridization with Zinc Oxide nanoparticles. The device is fabricated by spin coating of deionized water dispersed GO flakes (synthesized using traditional hummer’s method) doped with Zinc Oxide on standard glass substrate. Since GO is an insulator and functional groups on GO nanosheetsmore » play vital role in adsorbing gas molecules, it is being used as an adsorber. Additionally, on being exposed to certain gases the electric and optical characteristics of GO material exhibit an alteration in behavior. For the conductivity, we use Zinc Oxide, as it displays a high sensitivity towards conduction. The effects of the compositions, structural defects and morphologies of graphene based sensing layers and the configurations of sensing devices on the performances of gas sensors were investigated by Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD) and Keithley Sourcemeter.« less

The Impact of Sepiolite on Sensor Parameters during the Detection of Low Concentrations of Alcohols

PubMed Central

Suchorska-Woźniak, Patrycja; Rac, Olga; Fiedot, Marta; Teterycz, Helena

2016-01-01

The article presents the results of the detection of low-concentration C1–C4 alcohols using a planar sensor, in which a sepiolite filter was applied next to the gas-sensitive layer based on tin dioxide. The sepiolite layer is composed of tubes that have a length of several microns, and the diameter of the single tube ranges from several to tens of nanometers. The sepiolite layer itself demonstrated no chemical activity in the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOC), and the passive filter made of this material did not modify the chemical composition of the gaseous atmosphere diffusing to the gas-sensitive layer. The test results revealed that the structural remodelling of the sepiolite that occurs under the influence of temperature, as well as the effect of the filter (a compound with ionic bonds) with molecules of water, has a significant impact on the improvement of the sensitivity of the sensor in relation to volatile organic compounds when compared to the sensor without a filter. PMID:27834879

Fabrication of a Flexible Micro CO Sensor for Micro Reformer Applications

PubMed Central

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Chang, Chi-Chung; Lo, Yi-Man

2010-01-01

Integration of a reformer and a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is problematic due to the presence in the gas from the reforming process of a slight amount of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide poisons the catalyst of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell subsequently degrading the fuel cell performance, and necessitating the sublimation of the reaction gas before supplying to fuel cells. Based on the use of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology to manufacture flexible micro CO sensors, this study elucidates the relation between a micro CO sensor and different SnO2 thin film thicknesses. Experimental results indicate that the sensitivity increases at temperatures ranging from 100–300 °C. Additionally, the best sensitivity is obtained at a specific temperature. For instance, the best sensitivity of SnO2 thin film thickness of 100 nm at 300 °C is 59.3%. Moreover, a flexible micro CO sensor is embedded into a micro reformer to determine the CO concentration in each part of a micro reformer in the future, demonstrating the inner reaction of a micro reformer in depth and immediate detection. PMID:22163494

Zeolite-based Impedimetric Gas Sensor Device in Low-cost Technology for Hydrocarbon Gas Detection

PubMed Central

Reiß, Sebastian; Hagen, Gunter; Moos, Ralf

2008-01-01

Due to increasing environmental concerns the need for inexpensive selective gas sensors is increasing. This work deals with transferring a novel zeolite-based impedimetric hydrocarbon gas sensor principle, which has been originally manufactured in a costly combination of photolithography, thin-film processes, and thick-film processes to a low-cost technology comprising only thick-film processes and one electroplating step. The sensing effect is based on a thin chromium oxide layer between the interdigital electrodes and a Pt-loaded ZSM-5 zeolite film. When hydrocarbons are present in the sensor ambient, the electrical sensor impedance increases strongly and selectively. In the present work, the chromium oxide film is electroplated on Au screen-printed interdigital electrodes and then oxidized to Cr2O3. The electrode area is covered with the screen-printed zeolite. The sensor device is self-heated utilizing a planar platinum heater on the backside. The best sensor performance is obtained at a frequency of 3 Hz at around 350 °C. The good selectivity of the original sensor setup could be confirmed, but a strong cross-sensitivity to ammonia occurs, which might prohibit its original intention for use in automotive exhausts. PMID:27873966

An Ultrasensitive Organic Semiconductor NO2 Sensor Based on Crystalline TIPS-Pentacene Films.

PubMed

Wang, Zi; Huang, Lizhen; Zhu, Xiaofei; Zhou, Xu; Chi, Lifeng

2017-10-01

Organic semiconductor gas sensor is one of the promising candidates of room temperature operated gas sensors with high selectivity. However, for a long time the performance of organic semiconductor sensors, especially for the detection of oxidizing gases, is far behind that of the traditional metal oxide gas sensors. Although intensive attempts have been made to address the problem, the performance and the understanding of the sensing mechanism are still far from sufficient. Herein, an ultrasensitive organic semiconductor NO 2 sensor based on 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene (TIPS-petacene) is reported. The device achieves a sensitivity over 1000%/ppm and fast response/recovery, together with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 20 ppb, all of which reach the level of metal oxide sensors. After a comprehensive analysis on the morphology and electrical properties of the organic films, it is revealed that the ultrahigh performance is largely related to the film charge transport ability, which was less concerned in the studies previously. And the combination of efficient charge transport and low original charge carrier concentration is demonstrated to be an effective access to obtain high performance organic semiconductor gas sensors. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ethylene Gas Sensing Properties of Tin Oxide Nanowires Synthesized via CVD Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhir, Maisara A. M.; Mohamed, Khairudin; Rezan, Sheikh A.; Arafat, M. M.; Haseeb, A. S. M. A.; Uda, M. N. A.; Nuradibah, M. A.

2018-03-01

This paper studies ethylene gas sensing performance of tin oxide (SnO2) nanowires (NWs) as sensing material synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. The effect of NWs diameter on ethylene gas sensing characteristics were investigated. SnO2 NWs with diameter of ∼40 and ∼240 nm were deposited onto the alumina substrate with printed gold electrodes and tested for sensing characteristic toward ethylene gas. From the finding, the smallest diameter of NWs (42 nm) exhibit fast response and recovery time and higher sensitivity compared to largest diameter of NWs (∼240 nm). Both sensor show good reversibility features for ethylene gas sensor.

Inflammable Gas Mixture Detection with a Single Catalytic Sensor Based on the Electric Field Effect

PubMed Central

Tong, Ziyuan; Tong, Min-Ming; Meng, Wen; Li, Meng

2014-01-01

This paper introduces a new way to analyze mixtures of inflammable gases with a single catalytic sensor. The analysis technology was based on a new finding that an electric field on the catalytic sensor can change the output sensitivity of the sensor. The analysis of mixed inflammable gases results from processing the output signals obtained by adjusting the electric field parameter of the catalytic sensor. For the signal process, we designed a group of equations based on the heat balance of catalytic sensor expressing the relationship between the output signals and the concentration of gases. With these equations and the outputs of different electric fields, the gas concentration in a mixture could be calculated. In experiments, a mixture of methane, butane and ethane was analyzed by this new method, and the results showed that the concentration of each gas in the mixture could be detected with a single catalytic sensor, and the maximum relative error was less than 5%. PMID:24717635

Simplified gas sensor model based on AlGaN/GaN heterostructure Schottky diode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Das, Subhashis, E-mail: subhashis.ds@gmail.com; Majumdar, S.; Kumar, R.

2015-08-28

Physics based modeling of AlGaN/GaN heterostructure Schottky diode gas sensor has been investigated for high sensitivity and linearity of the device. Here the surface and heterointerface properties are greatly exploited. The dependence of two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) upon the surface charges is mainly utilized. The simulation of Schottky diode has been done in Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) tool and I-V curves are generated, from the I-V curves 76% response has been recorded in presence of 500 ppm gas at a biasing voltage of 0.95 Volt.

Quartz enhanced photoacoustic H{sub 2}S gas sensor based on a fiber-amplifier source and a custom tuning fork with large prong spacing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Hongpeng; Liu, Xiaoli; Zheng, Huadan

2015-09-14

A quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensor, employing an erbium-doped fiber amplified laser source and a custom quartz tuning fork (QTF) with its two prongs spaced ∼800 μm apart, is reported. The sensor employs an acoustic micro-resonator (AmR) which is assembled in an “on-beam” QEPAS configuration. Both length and vertical position of the AmR are optimized in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, significantly improving the QEPAS detection sensitivity by a factor of ∼40, compared to the case of a sensor using a bare custom QTF. The fiber-amplifier-enhanced QEPAS sensor is applied to H{sub 2}S trace gas detection, reaching a sensitivity of ∼890 ppbmore » at 1 s integration time, similar to those obtained with a power-enhanced QEPAS sensor equipped with a standard QTF, but with the advantages of easy optical alignment, simple installation, and long-term stability.« less

Fiber optic oxygen sensor leak detection system for space applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazemi, Alex A.; Goswami, Kish; Mendoza, Edgar A.; Kempen, Lothar U.

2007-09-01

This paper describes the successful test of a multi-point fiber optic oxygen sensor system during the static firing of an Evolved Expandable Launch Vehicle (EELV)/Delta IV common booster core (CBC) rocket engine at NASA's Stennis Flight Center. The system consisted of microsensors (optrodes) using an oxygen gas sensitive indicator incorporated onto an optically transparent porous substrate. The modular optoelectronics and multiplexing network system was designed and assembled utilizing a multi-channel opto-electronic sensor readout unit that monitored the oxygen and temperature response of the individual optrodes in real-time and communicated this information via a serial communication port to a remote laptop computer. The sensor packaging for oxygen consisted of two optrodes - one doped with an indicator sensitive to oxygen, and the other doped with an indicator sensitive to temperature. The multichannel oxygen sensor system is fully reversible. It has demonstrated a dynamic response to oxygen gas in the range of 0% to 100% with 0.1% resolution and a response time of <=10 seconds. The sensor package was attached to a custom fiber optic ribbon cable, which was then connected to a fiber optic trunk communications cable (standard telecommunications-grade fiber) that connected to the optoelectronics module. Each board in the expandable module included light sources, photo-detectors, and associated electronics required for detecting oxygen and temperature. The paper illustrates the sensor design and performance data under field deployment conditions.

A Micro Bubble Structure Based Fabry–Perot Optical Fiber Strain Sensor with High Sensitivity and Low-Cost Characteristics

PubMed Central

Yan, Lu; Gui, Zhiguo; Wang, Guanjun; An, Yongquan; Gu, Jinyu; Zhang, Meiqin; Liu, Xinglin; Wang, Zhibin; Wang, Gao; Jia, Pinggang

2017-01-01

A high-sensitivity, low-cost, ultrathin, hollow fiber micro bubble structure was proposed; such a bubble can be used to develop a high-sensitivity strain sensor based on a Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI). The micro bubble is fabricated at the fiber tip by splicing a glass tube to a single mode fiber (SMF) and then the glass tube is filled with gas in order to expand and form a micro bubble. The sensitivity of the strain sensor with a cavity length of about 155 μm and a bubble wall thickness of about 6 μm was measured to be up to 8.14 pm/με. PMID:28282960

A Micro Bubble Structure Based Fabry-Perot Optical Fiber Strain Sensor with High Sensitivity and Low-Cost Characteristics.

PubMed

Yan, Lu; Gui, Zhiguo; Wang, Guanjun; An, Yongquan; Gu, Jinyu; Zhang, Meiqin; Liu, Xinglin; Wang, Zhibin; Wang, Gao; Jia, Pinggang

2017-03-09

A high-sensitivity, low-cost, ultrathin, hollow fiber micro bubble structure was proposed; such a bubble can be used to develop a high-sensitivity strain sensor based on a Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI). The micro bubble is fabricated at the fiber tip by splicing a glass tube to a single mode fiber (SMF) and then the glass tube is filled with gas in order to expand and form a micro bubble. The sensitivity of the strain sensor with a cavity length of about 155 μm and a bubble wall thickness of about 6 μm was measured to be up to 8.14 pm/μϵ.

Analysis of the Sensitivity of K-Type Molecular Sieve-Deposited MWNTs for the Detection of SF₆ Decomposition Gases under Partial Discharge.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoxing; Li, Xin; Luo, Chenchen; Dong, Xingchen; Zhou, Lei

2015-11-11

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is widely utilized in gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). However, part of SF6 decomposes into different components under partial discharge (PD) conditions. Previous research has shown that the gas responses of intrinsic and 4 Å-type molecular sieve-deposited multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to SOF2 and SO2F2, two important decomposition components of SF6, are not obvious. In this study, a K-type molecular sieve-deposited MWNTs sensor was developed. Its gas response characteristics and the influence of the mixture ratios of gases on the gas-sensing properties were studied. The results showed that, for sensors with gas mixture ratios of 5:1, 10:1, and 20:1, the resistance change rate increased by nearly 13.0% after SOF2 adsorption, almost 10 times that of MWNTs sensors, while the sensors' resistance change rate with a mixture ratio of 10:1 reached 17.3% after SO2F2 adsorption, nearly nine times that of intrinsic MWNT sensors. Besides, a good linear relationship was observed between concentration of decomposition components and the resistance change rate of sensors.

Harmful Gas Recognition Exploiting a CTL Sensor Array

PubMed Central

Wang, Qihui; Xie, Lijun; Zhu, Bo; Zheng, Yao; Cao, Shihua

2013-01-01

In this paper, a novel cataluminescence (CTL)-based sensor array consisting of nine types of catalytic materials is developed for the recognition of several harmful gases, namely carbon monoxide, acetone, chloroform and toluene. First, the experimental setup is constructed by using sensing nanomaterials, a heating plate, a pneumatic pump, a gas flow meter, a digital temperature device, a camera and a BPCL Ultra Weak Chemiluminescence Analyzer. Then, unique CTL patterns for the four types of harmful gas are obtained from the sensor array. The harmful gases are successful recognized by the PCA method. The optimal conditions are also investigated. Finally, experimental results show high sensitivity, long-term stability and good linearity of the sensor array, which combined with simplicity, make our system a promising application in this field. PMID:24113681

Selective and reversible ammonia gas detection with nanoporous film functionalized silicon photonic micro-ring resonator.

PubMed

Yebo, Nebiyu A; Sree, Sreeprasanth Pulinthanathu; Levrau, Elisabeth; Detavernier, Christophe; Hens, Zeger; Martens, Johan A; Baets, Roel

2012-05-21

Portable, low cost and real-time gas sensors have a considerable potential in various biomedical and industrial applications. For such applications, nano-photonic gas sensors based on standard silicon fabrication technology offer attractive opportunities. Deposition of high surface area nano-porous coatings on silicon photonic sensors is a means to achieve selective, highly sensitive and multiplexed gas detection on an optical chip. Here we demonstrate selective and reversible ammonia gas detection with functionalized silicon-on-insulator optical micro-ring resonators. The micro-ring resonators are coated with acidic nano-porous aluminosilicate films for specific ammonia sensing, which results in a reversible response to NH(3)with selectivity relative to CO(2). The ammonia detection limit is estimated at about 5 ppm. The detectors reach a steady response to NH(3) within 30 and return to their base level within 60 to 90 seconds. The work opens perspectives on development of nano-photonic sensors for real-time, non-invasive, low cost and light weight biomedical and industrial sensing applications.

Electrospray-printed nanostructured graphene oxide gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Anthony P.; Velásquez-García, Luis F.

2015-12-01

We report low-cost conductometric gas sensors that use an ultrathin film made of graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes as transducing element. The devices were fabricated by lift-off metallization and near-room temperature, atmospheric pressure electrospray printing using a shadow mask. The sensors are sensitive to reactive gases at room temperature without requiring any post heat treatment, harsh chemical reduction, or doping with metal nanoparticles. The sensors’ response to humidity at atmospheric pressure tracks that of a commercial sensor, and is linear with changes in humidity in the 10%-60% relative humidity range while consuming <6 μW. Devices with GO layers printed by different deposition recipes yielded nearly identical response characteristics, suggesting that intrinsic properties of the film control the sensing mechanism. The gas sensors successfully detected ammonia at concentrations down to 500 ppm (absolute partial pressure of ˜5 × 10-4 T) at ˜1 T pressure, room temperature conditions. The sensor technology can be used in a great variety of applications including air conditioning and sensing of reactive gas species in vacuum lines and abatement systems.

Amperometric Gas Sensors as a Low Cost Emerging Technology Platform for Air Quality Monitoring Applications: A Review.

PubMed

Baron, Ronan; Saffell, John

2017-11-22

This review examines the use of amperometric electrochemical gas sensors for monitoring inorganic gases that affect urban air quality. First, we consider amperometric gas sensor technology including its development toward specifically designed air quality sensors. We then review recent academic and research organizations' studies where this technology has been trialed for air quality monitoring applications: early studies showed the potential of electrochemical gas sensors when colocated with reference Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) stations. Spatially dense networks with fast temporal resolution provide information not available from sparse AQMs with longer recording intervals. We review how this technology is being offered as commercial urban air quality networks and consider the remaining challenges. Sensors must be sensitive, selective, and stable; air quality monitors/nodes must be electronically and mechanically well designed. Data correction is required and models with differing levels of sophistication are being designed. Data analysis and validation is possibly the biggest remaining hurdle needed to deliver reliable concentration readings. Finally, this review also considers the roles of companies, urban infrastructure requirements, and public research in the development of this technology.

Pulse-driven micro gas sensor fitted with clustered Pd/SnO2 nanoparticles.

PubMed

Suematsu, Koichi; Shin, Yuka; Ma, Nan; Oyama, Tokiharu; Sasaki, Miyuki; Yuasa, Masayoshi; Kida, Tetsuya; Shimanoe, Kengo

2015-08-18

Real-time monitoring of specific gas concentrations with a compact and portable gas sensing device is required to sense potential health risk and danger from toxic gases. For such purposes, we developed an ultrasmall gas sensor device, where a micro sensing film was deposited on a micro heater integrated with electrodes fabricated by the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology. The developed device was operated in a pulse-heating mode to significantly reduce the heater power consumption and make the device battery-driven and portable. Using clustered Pd/SnO2 nanoparticles, we succeeded in introducing mesopores ranging from 10 to 30 nm in the micro gas sensing film (area: ϕ 150 μm) to detect large volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The micro sensor showed quick, stable, and high sensor responses to toluene at ppm (parts per million) concentrations at 300 °C even by operating the micro heater in a pulse-heating mode where switch-on and -off cycles were repeated at one-second intervals. The high performance of the micro sensor should result from the creation of efficient diffusion paths decorated with Pd sensitizers by using the clustered Pd/SnO2 nanoparticles. Hence we demonstrate that our pulse-driven micro sensor using nanostructured oxide materials holds promise as a battery-operable, portable gas sensing device.

Applications of Kalman filtering to real-time trace gas concentration measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leleux, D. P.; Claps, R.; Chen, W.; Tittel, F. K.; Harman, T. L.

2002-01-01

A Kalman filtering technique is applied to the simultaneous detection of NH3 and CO2 with a diode-laser-based sensor operating at 1.53 micrometers. This technique is developed for improving the sensitivity and precision of trace gas concentration levels based on direct overtone laser absorption spectroscopy in the presence of various sensor noise sources. Filter performance is demonstrated to be adaptive to real-time noise and data statistics. Additionally, filter operation is successfully performed with dynamic ranges differing by three orders of magnitude. Details of Kalman filter theory applied to the acquired spectroscopic data are discussed. The effectiveness of this technique is evaluated by performing NH3 and CO2 concentration measurements and utilizing it to monitor varying ammonia and carbon dioxide levels in a bioreactor for water reprocessing, located at the NASA-Johnson Space Center. Results indicate a sensitivity enhancement of six times, in terms of improved minimum detectable absorption by the gas sensor.

Platform for a Hydrocarbon Exhaust Gas Sensor Utilizing a Pumping Cell and a Conductometric Sensor

PubMed Central

Biskupski, Diana; Geupel, Andrea; Wiesner, Kerstin; Fleischer, Maximilian; Moos, Ralf

2009-01-01

Very often, high-temperature operated gas sensors are cross-sensitive to oxygen and/or they cannot be operated in oxygen-deficient (rich) atmospheres. For instance, some metal oxides like Ga2O3 or doped SrTiO3 are excellent materials for conductometric hydrocarbon detection in the rough atmosphere of automotive exhausts, but have to be operated preferably at a constant oxygen concentration. We propose a modular sensor platform that combines a conductometric two-sensor-setup with an electrochemical pumping cell made of YSZ to establish a constant oxygen concentration in the ambient of the conductometric sensor film. In this paper, the platform is introduced, the two-sensor-setup is integrated into this new design, and sensing performance is characterized. Such a platform can be used for other sensor principles as well. PMID:22423212

77 FR 37879 - 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-25

... provide greater security for its critical oil and natural gas infrastructure, and significant national... survivability equipment, displays, and sensors. The airframe itself does not contain sensitive technology...), Electro-Optic Missile Sensors (EOMSs), and Sequencer and Improved Countermeasures Dispenser (ICMD). The...

Ultra-sensitive near-infrared fiber-optic gas sensors enhanced by metal-organic frameworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chong, Xinyuan; Kim, Ki-Joong; Li, Erwen; Zhang, Yujing; Ohodnicki, Paul R.; Chang, Chih-Hung; Wang, Alan X.

2016-03-01

We demonstrate ultra-sensitive near-infrared (NIR) fiber-optic gas sensors enhanced by metalorganic framework (MOF) Cu-BTC (BTC=benzene-1,3,5- tricarboxylate), which is coated on a single-mode optical fiber. For the first time, we obtained high-resolution NIR spectroscopy of CO2 adsorbed in MOF without seeing any rotational side band. Real-time measurement showed different response time depending on the concentration of CO2, which is attributed to the complex adsorption and desorption mechanism of CO2 in Cu-BTC. The lowest detection limit of CO2 we achieved is 20 ppm with only 5-cm long Cu-BTC film.

In Situ Localized Growth of Ordered Metal Oxide Hollow Sphere Array on Microheater Platform for Sensitive, Ultra-Fast Gas Sensing.

PubMed

Rao, Ameya; Long, Hu; Harley-Trochimczyk, Anna; Pham, Thang; Zettl, Alex; Carraro, Carlo; Maboudian, Roya

2017-01-25

A simple and versatile strategy is presented for the localized on-chip synthesis of an ordered metal oxide hollow sphere array directly on a low power microheater platform to form a closely integrated miniaturized gas sensor. Selective microheater surface modification through fluorinated monolayer self-assembly and its subsequent microheater-induced thermal decomposition enables the position-controlled deposition of an ordered two-dimensional colloidal sphere array, which serves as a sacrificial template for metal oxide growth via homogeneous chemical precipitation; this strategy ensures control in both the morphology and placement of the sensing material on only the active heated area of the microheater platform, providing a major advantage over other methods of presynthesized nanomaterial integration via suspension coating or printing. A fabricated tin oxide hollow sphere-based sensor shows high sensitivity (6.5 ppb detection limit) and selectivity toward formaldehyde, and extremely fast response (1.8 s) and recovery (5.4 s) times. This flexible and scalable method can be used to fabricate high performance miniaturized gas sensors with a variety of hollow nanostructured metal oxides for a range of applications, including combining multiple metal oxides for superior sensitivity and tunable selectivity.

Real-time trace gas sensor using a multimode diode laser and multiple-line integrated cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy.

PubMed

Karpf, Andreas; Rao, Gottipaty N

2015-07-01

We describe and demonstrate a highly sensitive trace gas sensor based on a simplified design that is capable of measuring sub-ppb concentrations of NO2 in tens of milliseconds. The sensor makes use of a relatively inexpensive Fabry-Perot diode laser to conduct off-axis cavity enhanced spectroscopy. The broad frequency range of a multimode Fabry-Perot diode laser spans a large number of absorption lines, thereby removing the need for a single-frequency tunable laser source. The use of cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy enhances the sensitivity of the sensor by providing a pathlength on the order of 1 km in a small volume. Off-axis alignment excites a large number of cavity modes simultaneously, thereby reducing the sensor's susceptibility to vibration. Multiple-line integrated absorption spectroscopy (where one integrates the absorption spectra over a large number of rovibronic transitions of the molecular species) further improves the sensitivity of detection. Relatively high laser power (∼400  mW) is used to compensate for the low coupling efficiency of a broad linewidth laser to the optical cavity. The approach was demonstrated using a 407 nm diode laser to detect trace quantities of NO2 in zero air. Sensitivities of 750 ppt, 110 ppt, and 65 ppt were achieved using integration times of 50 ms, 5 s, and 20 s respectively.

Chemical Sensor Systems and Associated Algorithms for Fire Detection: A Review.

PubMed

Fonollosa, Jordi; Solórzano, Ana; Marco, Santiago

2018-02-11

Indoor fire detection using gas chemical sensing has been a subject of investigation since the early nineties. This approach leverages the fact that, for certain types of fire, chemical volatiles appear before smoke particles do. Hence, systems based on chemical sensing can provide faster fire alarm responses than conventional smoke-based fire detectors. Moreover, since it is known that most casualties in fires are produced from toxic emissions rather than actual burns, gas-based fire detection could provide an additional level of safety to building occupants. In this line, since the 2000s, electrochemical cells for carbon monoxide sensing have been incorporated into fire detectors. Even systems relying exclusively on gas sensors have been explored as fire detectors. However, gas sensors respond to a large variety of volatiles beyond combustion products. As a result, chemical-based fire detectors require multivariate data processing techniques to ensure high sensitivity to fires and false alarm immunity. In this paper, we the survey toxic emissions produced in fires and defined standards for fire detection systems. We also review the state of the art of chemical sensor systems for fire detection and the associated signal and data processing algorithms. We also examine the experimental protocols used for the validation of the different approaches, as the complexity of the test measurements also impacts on reported sensitivity and specificity measures. All in all, further research and extensive test under different fire and nuisance scenarios are still required before gas-based fire detectors penetrate largely into the market. Nevertheless, the use of dynamic features and multivariate models that exploit sensor correlations seems imperative.

Chemical Sensor Systems and Associated Algorithms for Fire Detection: A Review

PubMed Central

Fonollosa, Jordi

2018-01-01

Indoor fire detection using gas chemical sensing has been a subject of investigation since the early nineties. This approach leverages the fact that, for certain types of fire, chemical volatiles appear before smoke particles do. Hence, systems based on chemical sensing can provide faster fire alarm responses than conventional smoke-based fire detectors. Moreover, since it is known that most casualties in fires are produced from toxic emissions rather than actual burns, gas-based fire detection could provide an additional level of safety to building occupants. In this line, since the 2000s, electrochemical cells for carbon monoxide sensing have been incorporated into fire detectors. Even systems relying exclusively on gas sensors have been explored as fire detectors. However, gas sensors respond to a large variety of volatiles beyond combustion products. As a result, chemical-based fire detectors require multivariate data processing techniques to ensure high sensitivity to fires and false alarm immunity. In this paper, we the survey toxic emissions produced in fires and defined standards for fire detection systems. We also review the state of the art of chemical sensor systems for fire detection and the associated signal and data processing algorithms. We also examine the experimental protocols used for the validation of the different approaches, as the complexity of the test measurements also impacts on reported sensitivity and specificity measures. All in all, further research and extensive test under different fire and nuisance scenarios are still required before gas-based fire detectors penetrate largely into the market. Nevertheless, the use of dynamic features and multivariate models that exploit sensor correlations seems imperative. PMID:29439490

Highly sensitive H2 gas sensor of Co doped ZnO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhati, Vijendra Singh; Ranwa, Sapana; Kumar, Mahesh

2018-04-01

In this report, the hydrogen gas sensing properties based on Co doped ZnO nanostructures are explored. The undoped and Co doped nanostructures were grown by RF magnetron sputtering system, and its structural, morphological, and hydrogen sensing behavior are investigated. The maximum relative response was occurred by the 2.5% Co doped ZnO nanostructures among undoped and other doped sensors. The enhancement of relative response might be due to large chemisorbed sites formation on the ZnO surface for the reaction to hydrogen gas.

Bismuth-Based, Disposable Sensor for the Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide Gas.

PubMed

Rosolina, Samuel M; Carpenter, Thomas S; Xue, Zi-Ling

2016-02-02

A new sensor for the detection of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas has been developed to replace commercial lead(II) acetate-based test papers. The new sensor is a wet, porous, paper-like substrate coated with Bi(OH)3 or its alkaline derivatives at pH 11. In contrast to the neurotoxic lead(II) acetate, bismuth is used due to its nontoxic properties, as Bi(III) has been a reagent in medications such as Pepto-Bismol. The reaction between H2S gas and the current sensor produces a visible color change from white to yellow/brown, and the sensor responds to ≥ 30 ppb H2S in a total volume of 1.35 L of gas, a typical volume of human breath. The alkaline, wet coating helps the trapping of acidic H2S gas and its reaction with Bi(III) species, forming colored Bi2S3. The sensor is suitable for testing human bad breath and is at least 2 orders of magnitude more sensitive than a commercial H2S test paper based on Pb(II)(acetate)2. The small volume of 1.35-L H2S is important, as the commercial Pb(II)(acetate)2-based paper requires large volumes of 5 ppm H2S gas. The new sensor reported here is inexpensive, disposable, safe, and user-friendly. A simple, laboratory setup for generating small volumes of ppb-ppm of H2S gas is also reported.

Multiparametric methane sensor for environmental monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borecki, M.; Duk, M.; Kociubiński, A.; Korwin-Pawlowski, M. L.

2016-12-01

Today, methane sensors find applications mostly in safety alarm installations, gas parameters detection and air pollution classification. Such sensors and sensors elements exists for industry and home use. Under development area of methane sensors application is dedicated to ground gases monitoring. Proper monitoring of soil gases requires reliable and maintenance-free semi-constant and longtime examination at relatively low cost of equipment. The sensors for soil monitoring have to work on soil probe. Therefore, sensor is exposed to environment conditions, as a wide range of temperatures and a full scale of humidity changes, as well as rain, snow and wind, that are not specified for classical methane sensors. Development of such sensor is presented in this paper. The presented sensor construction consists of five commercial non dispersive infra-red (NDIR) methane sensing units, a set of temperature and humidity sensing units, a gas chamber equipped with a micro-fan, automated gas valves and also a microcontroller that controls the measuring procedure. The electronics part of sensor was installed into customized 3D printed housing equipped with self-developed gas valves. The main development of proposed sensor is on the side of experimental evaluation of construction reliability and results of data processing included safety procedures and function for hardware error correction. Redundant methane sensor units are used providing measurement error correction as well as improved measurement accuracy. The humidity and temperature sensors are used for internal compensation of methane measurements as well as for cutting-off the sensor from the environment when the conditions exceed allowable parameters. Results obtained during environment sensing prove that the gas concentration readings are not sensitive to gas chamber vertical or horizontal position. It is important as vertical sensor installation on soil probe is simpler that horizontal one. Data acquired during six month of environment monitoring prove that error correction of methane sensing units was essential for maintenance free sensor operation, despite used safety procedures.

Room temperature LPG resistive sensor based on the use of a few-layer graphene/SnO2 nanocomposite.

PubMed

Goutham, Solleti; Bykkam, Satish; Sadasivuni, Kishor Kumar; Kumar, Devarai Santhosh; Ahmadipour, Mohsen; Ahmad, Zainal Arifin; Rao, Kalagadda Venkateswara

2017-12-20

A nanocomposite consisting of a few layers of graphene (FLG) and tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) was prepared by ultrasound-assisted synthesis. The uniform SnO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) on the FLG were characterized by X-ray diffraction in terms of lattice and phase structure. The functional groups present in the composite were analyzed by FTIR. Electron microscopy (HR-TEM and FE-SEM) was used to study the morphology. The effect of the fraction of FLG present in the nanocomposite was investigated. Sensitivity, selectivity and reproducibility towards resistive sensing of liquid propane gas (LPG) was characterized by the I-V method. The sensor with 1% of FLG on SnO 2 operated at a typical voltage of 1 V performs best in giving a rapid and sensitive response even at 27 °C. This proves that the operating temperature of such sensors can be drastically decreased which is in contrast to conventional metal oxide LPG sensors. Graphical abstract Schematic of a room temperature gas sensor for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). It is based on the use of a few-layered graphene (1 wt%)/SnO 2 nanocomposite that was deposited on an interdigitated electrode (IDEs). A sensing mechanism for LPG detection has been established.

Fluorescent Dye-doped Sol-gel Sensor for Highly Sensitive Carbon Dioxide Gas Detection below Atmospheric Concentrations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dansby-Sparks, Royce N.; Jin, Jun; Mechery, Shelly J

2009-01-01

Optical fluorescence sol-gel sensors have been developed for the detection of carbon dioxide gas in the 0.03?30% range with a detection limit of 0.008% (or 80 ppm) and a quantitation limit of 0.02% (or 200 ppm) CO{sub 2}. Sol?gels were spin-coated on glass slides to create an organically modified silica-doped matrix with the 1-hydroxypyrene-3,6,8-trisulfonate (HPTS) fluorescent indicator. The luminescence intensity of the HPTS indicator (513 nm) is quenched by CO{sub 2}, which protonates the anionic form of HPTS. An ion pair technique was used to incorporate the lipophilic dye into the hydrophilic sol?gel matrix. TiO{sub 2} particles (<5 {mu}m diameter)more » were added to induce Mie scattering and increase the incident light interaction with the sensing film, thus increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. Moisture-proof overcoatings have been used to maintain a constant level of water inside the sensor films. The optical sensors are inexpensive to prepare and can be easily coupled to fiber optics for remote sensing capabilities. A fiber-optic bundle was used for the gas detection and shown to work as part of a multianalyte platform for simultaneous detection of multiple analytes. The studies reported here resulted in the development of sol?gel optical fluorescent sensors for CO{sub 2} gas with sensitivity below that in the atmosphere (ca. 387 ppm). These sensors are a complementary approach to current FT-IR measurements for real-time carbon dioxide detection in environmental applications.« less

TiO2-Based Nanoheterostructures for Promoting Gas Sensitivity Performance: Designs, Developments, and Prospects

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuan; Wu, Tao; Zhou, Yun; Meng, Chuanmin; Zhu, Wenjun; Liu, Lixin

2017-01-01

Gas sensors based on titanium dioxide (TiO2) have attracted much public attention during the past decades due to their excellent potential for applications in environmental pollution remediation, transportation industries, personal safety, biology, and medicine. Numerous efforts have therefore been devoted to improving the sensing performance of TiO2. In those effects, the construct of nanoheterostructures is a promising tactic in gas sensing modification, which shows superior sensing performance to that of the single component-based sensors. In this review, we briefly summarize and highlight the development of TiO2-based heterostructure gas sensing materials with diverse models, including semiconductor/semiconductor nanoheterostructures, noble metal/semiconductor nanoheterostructures, carbon-group-materials/semiconductor nano- heterostructures, and organic/inorganic nanoheterostructures, which have been investigated for effective enhancement of gas sensing properties through the increase of sensitivity, selectivity, and stability, decrease of optimal work temperature and response/recovery time, and minimization of detectable levels. PMID:28846621

Validation of a novel Multi-Gas sensor for volcanic HCl alongside H2S and SO2 at Mt. Etna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, T. J.; Lurton, T.; Giudice, G.; Liuzzo, M.; Aiuppa, A.; Coltelli, M.; Vignelles, D.; Salerno, G.; Couté, B.; Chartier, M.; Baron, R.; Saffell, J. R.; Scaillet, B.

2017-05-01

Volcanic gas emission measurements inform predictions of hazard and atmospheric impacts. For these measurements, Multi-Gas sensors provide low-cost in situ monitoring of gas composition but to date have lacked the ability to detect halogens. Here, two Multi-Gas instruments characterized passive outgassing emissions from Mt. Etna's (Italy) three summit craters, Voragine (VOR), North-east Crater (NEC) and Bocca Nuova (BN) on 2 October 2013. Signal processing (Sensor Response Model, SRM) approaches are used to analyse H2S/SO2 and HCl/SO2 ratios. A new ability to monitor volcanic HCl using miniature electrochemical sensors is here demonstrated. A "direct-exposure" Multi-Gas instrument contained SO2, H2S and HCl sensors, whose sensitivities, cross-sensitivities and response times were characterized by laboratory calibration. SRM analysis of the field data yields H2S/SO2 and HCl/SO2 molar ratios, finding H2S/SO2 = 0.02 (0.01-0.03), with distinct HCl/SO2 for the VOR, NEC and BN crater emissions of 0.41 (0.38-0.43), 0.58 (0.54-0.60) and 0.20 (0.17-0.33). A second Multi-Gas instrument provided CO2/SO2 and H2O/SO2 and enabled cross-comparison of SO2. The Multi-Gas-measured SO2-HCl-H2S-CO2-H2O compositions provide insights into volcanic outgassing. H2S/SO2 ratios indicate gas equilibration at slightly below magmatic temperatures, assuming that the magmatic redox state is preserved. Low SO2/HCl alongside low CO2/SO2 indicates a partially outgassed magma source. We highlight the potential for low-cost HCl sensing of H2S-poor HCl-rich volcanic emissions elsewhere. Further tests are needed for H2S-rich plumes and for long-term monitoring. Our study brings two new advances to volcano hazard monitoring: real-time in situ measurement of HCl and improved Multi-Gas SRM measurements of gas ratios.

A highly sensitive room temperature H2S gas sensor based on SnO2 multi-tube arrays bio-templated from insect bristles.

PubMed

Tian, Junlong; Pan, Feng; Xue, Ruiyang; Zhang, Wang; Fang, Xiaotian; Liu, Qinglei; Wang, Yuhua; Zhang, Zhijian; Zhang, Di

2015-05-07

A tin oxide multi-tube array (SMTA) with a parallel effect was fabricated through a simple and promising method combining chemosynthesis and biomimetic techniques; a biomimetic template was derived from the bristles on the wings of the Alpine Black Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio maackii). SnO2 tubes are hollow and porous structures with micro-pores regularly distributed on the wall. The morphology, the delicate microstructure and the crystal structure of this SMTA were characterized by super resolution digital microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The SMTA exhibits a high sensitivity to H2S gas at room temperature. It also exhibits a short response/recovery time, with an average value of 14/30 s at 5 ppm. In particular, heating is not required for the SMTA in the gas sensitivity measurement process. On the basis of these results, SMTA is proposed as a suitable new material for the design and fabrication of room-temperature H2S gas sensors.

Graphene Chemical Sensor for Heliophysics Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sultana, Mahmooda; Herrero, Fred; Khazanov, George

2013-01-01

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms that offer a unique set of advantages as a chemical sensor due to a number of its inherent properties. Graphene has been explored as a gas sensor for a variety of gases, and molecular sensitivity has been demonstrated by measuring the change in electrical properties due to the adsorption of target species. In this paper, we discuss the development of an array of chemical sensors based on graphene and its relevance to plasma physics due to its sensitivity to radical species such as oxonium, hydron and the corresponding neutrals. We briefly discuss the great impact such sensors will have on a number of heliophysics applications such as ground-based manifestations of space weather.

Nanostructured Metal Oxide Gas Sensors, a Survey of Applications Carried out at SENSOR Lab, Brescia (Italy) in the Security and Food Quality Fields

PubMed Central

Ponzoni, Andrea; Comini, Elisabetta; Concina, Isabella; Ferroni, Matteo; Falasconi, Matteo; Gobbi, Emanuela; Sberveglieri, Veronica; Sberveglieri, Giorgio

2012-01-01

In this work we report on metal oxide (MOX) based gas sensors, presenting the work done at the SENSOR laboratory of the CNR-IDASC and University of Brescia, Italy since the 80s up to the latest results achieved in recent times. In particular we report the strategies followed at SENSOR during these 30 years to increase the performance of MOX sensors through the development of different preparation techniques, from Rheotaxial Growth Thermal Oxidation (RGTO) to nanowire technology to address sensitivity and stability, and the development of electronic nose systems and pattern recognition techniques to address selectivity. We will show the obtained achievement in the context of selected applications such as safety and security and food quality control. PMID:23235445

Metal oxide nanostructures for gas detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maziarz, Wojciech; Pisarkiewicz, Tadeusz; Rydosz, Artur; Wysocka, Kinga; Czyrnek, Grzegorz

2013-07-01

Currently, most of gas sensors on the market are produced in thin or thick film technologies with the use of ceramic substrates. It is expected that the miniature sensors needed in portable applications will be based on one-dimensional structures due to their low power consumption, fast and stable time response, small dimensions and possibility of embedding in integrated circuit together with signal conditioning electronics. The authors manufactured resistance type gas sensors based on ZnO and WO3 nanostructures. ZnO:Al nanorods with good cristallinity were obtained with electrodeposition method, while ZnO:Al nanofibres with varying diameters were obtained by electrospinning method. The sensors were built as a nanowire network. WO3 films with nanocrystalline surface were manufactured by deposition of a three layer WO3/W/WO3 structure by RF sputtering and successive annealing of the structure in appropriate temperature range. In effect a uniform nanostructurized metal oxide layer was formed. Investigation of sensors characteristics revealed good sensitivity to nitrogen dioxide at temperatures lower than these for conventional conductometric type sensors.

Review article: next generation diagnostic modalities in gastroenterology--gas phase volatile compound biomarker detection.

PubMed

Arasaradnam, R P; Covington, J A; Harmston, C; Nwokolo, C U

2014-04-01

The detection of airborne gas phase biomarkers that emanate from biological samples like urine, breath and faeces may herald a new age of non-invasive diagnostics. These biomarkers may reflect status in health and disease and can be detected by humans and other animals, to some extent, but far more consistently with instruments. The continued advancement in micro and nanotechnology has produced a range of compact and sophisticated gas analysis sensors and sensor systems, focussed primarily towards environmental and security applications. These instruments are now increasingly adapted for use in clinical testing and with the discovery of new gas volatile compound biomarkers, lead naturally to a new era of non-invasive diagnostics. To review current sensor instruments like the electronic nose (e-nose) and ion mobility spectroscopy (IMS), existing technology like gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and their application in the detection of gas phase volatile compound biomarkers in medicine - focussing on gastroenterology. A systematic search on Medline and Pubmed databases was performed to identify articles relevant to gas and volatile organic compounds. E-nose and IMS instruments achieve sensitivities and specificities ranging from 75 to 92% in differentiating between inflammatory bowel disease, bile acid diarrhoea and colon cancer from controls. For pulmonary disease, the sensitivities and specificities exceed 90% in differentiating between pulmonary malignancy, pneumonia and obstructive airways disease. These sensitivity levels also hold true for diabetes (92%) and bladder cancer (90%) when GC-MS is combined with an e-nose. The accurate reproducible sensing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using portable near-patient devices is a goal within reach for today's clinicians. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A mid-infrared laser absorption sensor for carbon monoxide and temperature measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderover, Jeremy

A mid-infrared (mid-IR) absorption sensor based on quantum cascade laser (QCL) technology has been developed and demonstrated for high-temperature thermometry and carbon monoxide (CO) measurements in combustion environments. The sensor probes the high-intensity fundamental CO ro-vibrational band at 4.6 mum enabling sensitive measurement of CO and temperature at kHz acquisition rates. Because the sensor operates in the mid-IR CO fundamental band it is several orders of magnitude more sensitive than most of the previously developed CO combustion sensors which utilized absorption in the near-IR overtone bands and mature traditional telecommunications-based diode lasers. The sensor has been demonstrated and validated under operation in both scanned-wavelength absorption and wavelength-modulation spectroscopy (WMS) modes in room-temperature gas cell and high-temperature shock tube experiments with known and specified gas conditions. The sensor has also been demonstrated for CO and temperature measurements in an atmospheric premixed ethylene/air McKenna burner flat flame for a range of equivalence ratios (phi = 0.7-1.4). Demonstration of the sensor under scanned-wavelength direct absorption operation was performed in a room-temperature gas cell (297 K and 0.001-1 atm) allowing validation of the line strengths and line shapes predicted by the HITRAN 2004 spectroscopic database. Application of the sensor in scanned-wavelength mode, at 1-2 kHz acquisition bandwidths, to specified high-temperature shock-heated gases (950-3400 K, 1 atm) provided validation of the sensor for measurements under the high-temperature conditions found in combustion devices. The scanned-wavelength shock tube measurements yielded temperature determinations that deviated by only +/-1.2% (1-sigma deviation) with the reflected shock temperatures and CO mole fraction determinations that deviated by that specified CO mole fraction by only +/-1.5% (1-sigma deviation). These deviations are in fact smaller than the estimated uncertainties of 2.5-3% in both sensor determined temperature and CO. Enhancement of the sensor sensitivity can be achieved through use wavelength-modulation spectroscopy (WMS). Similarly, under WMS operation the sensor was applied to room-temperature gas cell (297 K, 0.001-1 atm) measurements, which indicate that the sensor sensitivity in WMS operation is approximately an order-of-magnitude greater than that achieved in scanned-wavelength mode, and high-temperature shock-heated gases (850-3400 K, 1 atm), which validate the sensor for sensitive thermometry at combustion temperatures. In WMS mode the temperature measurements show 1-sigma deviation of +/-1.9% with the reflected shock conditions. High-temperature CO concentration measurements require calibration to scale the measured WMS-2f peak height with a simulated WMS-2 f line shape. However, using single point calibration for each CO containing mixture studied resulted in fairly good agreement (1-sigma deviation of +/-4.2%) between measured and simulated WMS-2f peak height. In other words, CO mole fraction determinations (proportional to peak height) were achieved with deviation of +/-4.2% with specified CO mole fraction. Sensor measurements made at a 1 kHz acquisition bandwidth in an atmospheric pressure ethylene/air flat-flame produced by a McKenna burner for equivalence ratios from 0.7 to 1.4 were in excellent accord with thermocouple measurements and chemical equilibrium predictions for CO based on the thermocouple temperatures for rich conditions. At lean conditions sensor temperature determinations are lower than thermocouple determinations by around 150 K due to the cool flame edge and sensor CO measurements are greater than those predicted by chemical equilibrium due to super-equilibrium CO in the cool flame edge. The CO sensor developed and described herein and validated in room-temperature cell, high-temperature shock tube, and flat-flame burner measurements has potential for a vast array of measurements in combustion, energy, and industrial gas sensing applications. It has unsurpassed sensitivity due to the use of the fundamental CO band at 4.6 mum and provides kHz acquisition bandwidths necessary for high-speed measurements in these systems. This research was directed by Professor Matt Oehlschlaeger and supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

Titanium dioxide-based carbon monoxide gas sensors: Effects of crystallinity and chemistry on sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seeley, Zachary Mark

Among metal-oxide gas sensors which change electrical resistive properties upon exposure to target gasses, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has received attention for its sensitivity and stability during high temperature (>500°C) operation. However, due to the sensing mechanism sensitivity, selectivity, and stability remain as critical deficiencies to be resolved before these sensors reach commercial use. In this study, TiO2 thick films of approximately 30mum and thin films of approximately 1mum thick were fabricated to assess the influence of their material properties on gas sensing mechanism. Increased calcination temperature of TiO2 thick films led to grain growth, reduction in specific surface area, and particle-particle necking. These properties are known to degrade sensitivity; however the measured carbon monoxide (CO) gas response improved with increasing calcination temperature up to 800°C. It was concluded that the sensing improvement was due to increased crystallinity within the films. Sensing properties of TiO2 thin films of were also dependent on crystallization, however; due to the smaller volume of material, they reached optimized crystallization at lower temperatures of 650°C, compared to 800°C for thick films. Incorporation of tungsten (W) and nickel (Ni) ions into the films created donor and acceptor defect sites, respectively, within the electronic band gap of TiO2. The additional n-type defects in W-doped TiO 2 improved n-type CO response, while p-type defects in Ni-doped TiO 2 converted the gas response to p-type. Chemistry of thin films had a more significant impact on the electrical properties and gas response than did microstructure or crystallinity. Doped films could be calcined at higher temperatures and yet remain highly sensitive to CO. Thin films with p-n bi-layer structure were fabricated to determine the influence of a p-n junction on gas sensing properties. No effect of the junction was observed and the sensing response neared the average of the layers; however, electrical and gas response studies revealed that the majority of the conductivity and gas-surface reactions took place on the outer layer of the film. Further research is necessary to understand the influence of p-n junctions on the gas sensing behavior.

Recent progress on gas sensor based on quantum cascade lasers and hollow fiber waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ningwu; Sun, Juan; Deng, Hao; Ding, Junya; Zhang, Lei; Li, Jingsong

2017-02-01

Mid-infrared laser spectroscopy provides an ideal platform for trace gas sensing applications. Despite this potential, early MIR sensing applications were limited due to the size of the involved optical components, e.g. light sources and sample cells. A potential solution to this demand is the integration of hollow fiber waveguide with novelty quantum cascade lasers.Recently QCLs had great improvements in power, efficiency and wavelength range, which made the miniaturized platforms for gas sensing maintaining or even enhancing the achievable sensitivity conceivable. So that the miniaturization of QCLs and HWGs can be evolved into a mini sensor, which may be tailored to a variety of real-time and in situ applications ranging from environmental monitoring to workplace safety surveillance. In this article, we introduce QCLs and HWGs, display the applications of HWG based on QCL gas sensing and discuss future strategies for hollow fiber coupled quantum cascade laser gas sensor technology.

Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for the Oil Industry.

PubMed

Qiao, Xueguang; Shao, Zhihua; Bao, Weijia; Rong, Qiangzhou

2017-02-23

With the oil and gas industry growing rapidly, increasing the yield and profit require advances in technology for cost-effective production in key areas of reservoir exploration and in oil-well production-management. In this paper we review our group's research into fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and their applications in the oil industry, especially in the well-logging field. FBG sensors used for seismic exploration in the oil and gas industry need to be capable of measuring multiple physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, and acoustic waves in a hostile environment. This application requires that the FBG sensors display high sensitivity over the broad vibration frequency range of 5 Hz to 2.5 kHz, which contains the important geological information. We report the incorporation of mechanical transducers in the FBG sensors to enable enhance the sensors' amplitude and frequency response. Whenever the FBG sensors are working within a well, they must withstand high temperatures and high pressures, up to 175 °C and 40 Mpa or more. We use femtosecond laser side-illumination to ensure that the FBGs themselves have the high temperature resistance up to 1100 °C. Using FBG sensors combined with suitable metal transducers, we have experimentally realized high- temperature and pressure measurements up to 400 °C and 100 Mpa. We introduce a novel technology of ultrasonic imaging of seismic physical models using FBG sensors, which is superior to conventional seismic exploration methods. Compared with piezoelectric transducers, FBG ultrasonic sensors demonstrate superior sensitivity, more compact structure, improved spatial resolution, high stability and immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI). In the last section, we present a case study of a well-logging field to demonstrate the utility of FBG sensors in the oil and gas industry.

A Fiber-Optic Sensor for Acoustic Emission Detection in a High Voltage Cable System

PubMed Central

Zhang, Tongzhi; Pang, Fufei; Liu, Huanhuan; Cheng, Jiajing; Lv, Longbao; Zhang, Xiaobei; Chen, Na; Wang, Tingyun

2016-01-01

We have proposed and demonstrated a Michelson interferometer-based fiber sensor for detecting acoustic emission generated from the partial discharge (PD) of the accessories of a high-voltage cable system. The developed sensor head is integrated with a compact and relatively high sensitivity cylindrical elastomer. Such a sensor has a broadband frequency response and a relatively high sensitivity in a harsh environment under a high-voltage electric field. The design and fabrication of the sensor head integrated with the cylindrical elastomer is described, and a series of experiments was conducted to evaluate the sensing performance. The experimental results demonstrate that the sensitivity of our developed sensor for acoustic detection of partial discharges is 1.7 rad/(m⋅Pa). A high frequency response up to 150 kHz is achieved. Moreover, the relatively high sensitivity for the detection of PD is verified in both the laboratory environment and gas insulated switchgear. The obtained results show the great potential application of a Michelson interferometer-based fiber sensor integrated with a cylindrical elastomer for in-situ monitoring high-voltage cable accessories for safety work. PMID:27916900

Ionic Liquid-Based Optical and Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Sensors.

PubMed

Behera, Kamalakanta; Pandey, Shubha; Kadyan, Anu; Pandey, Siddharth

2015-12-04

Due to their unusual physicochemical properties (e.g., high thermal stability, low volatility, high intrinsic conductivity, wide electrochemical windows and good solvating ability), ionic liquids have shown immense application potential in many research areas. Applications of ionic liquid in developing various sensors, especially for the sensing of biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins and enzymes, gas sensing and sensing of various important ions, among other chemosensing platforms, are currently being explored by researchers worldwide. The use of ionic liquids for the detection of carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas is currently a major topic of research due to the associated importance of this gas with daily human life. This review focuses on the application of ionic liquids in optical and electrochemical CO₂ sensors. The design, mechanism, sensitivity and detection limit of each type of sensor are highlighted in this review.

Ionic Liquid-Based Optical and Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Sensors

PubMed Central

Behera, Kamalakanta; Pandey, Shubha; Kadyan, Anu; Pandey, Siddharth

2015-01-01

Due to their unusual physicochemical properties (e.g., high thermal stability, low volatility, high intrinsic conductivity, wide electrochemical windows and good solvating ability), ionic liquids have shown immense application potential in many research areas. Applications of ionic liquid in developing various sensors, especially for the sensing of biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins and enzymes, gas sensing and sensing of various important ions, among other chemosensing platforms, are currently being explored by researchers worldwide. The use of ionic liquids for the detection of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is currently a major topic of research due to the associated importance of this gas with daily human life. This review focuses on the application of ionic liquids in optical and electrochemical CO2 sensors. The design, mechanism, sensitivity and detection limit of each type of sensor are highlighted in this review. PMID:26690155

Sensitive hydrogen leak detector

DOEpatents

Myneni, Ganapati Rao

1999-01-01

A sensitive hydrogen leak detector system using passivation of a stainless steel vacuum chamber for low hydrogen outgassing, a high compression ratio vacuum system, a getter operating at 77.5 K and a residual gas analyzer as a quantitative hydrogen sensor.

MEMS based highly sensitive dual FET gas sensor using graphene decorated Pd-Ag alloy nanoparticles for H2 detection.

PubMed

Sharma, Bharat; Kim, Jung-Sik

2018-04-12

A low power, dual-gate field-effect transistor (FET) hydrogen gas sensor with graphene decorated Pd-Ag for hydrogen sensing applications was developed. The FET hydrogen sensor was integrated with a graphene-Pd-Ag-gate FET (GPA-FET) as hydrogen sensor coupled with Pt-gate FET as a reference sensor on a single sensor platform. The sensing gate electrode was modified with graphene by an e-spray technique followed by Pd-Ag DC/MF sputtering. Morphological and structural properties were studied by FESEM and Raman spectroscopy. FEM simulations were performed to confirm the uniform temperature control at the sensing gate electrode. The GPA-FET showed a high sensing response to hydrogen gas at the temperature of 25~254.5 °C. The as-proposed FET H 2 sensor showed the fast response time and recovery time of 16 s, 14 s, respectively at the operating temperature of 245 °C. The variation in drain current was positively related with increased working temperature and hydrogen concentration. The proposed dual-gate FET gas sensor in this study has potential applications in various fields, such as electronic noses and automobiles, owing to its low-power consumption, easy integration, good thermal stability and enhanced hydrogen sensing properties.

Chemical sensors for breath gas analysis: the latest developments at the Breath Analysis Summit 2013.

PubMed

Tisch, Ulrike; Haick, Hossam

2014-06-01

Profiling the body chemistry by means of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath opens exciting new avenues in medical diagnostics. Gas sensors could provide ideal platforms for realizing portable, hand-held breath testing devices in the near future. This review summarizes the latest developments and applications in the field of chemical sensors for diagnostic breath testing that were presented at the Breath Analysis Summit 2013 in Wallerfangen, Germany. Considerable progress has been made towards clinically applicable breath testing devices, especially by utilizing chemo-sensitive nanomaterials. Examples of several specialized breath testing applications are presented that are either based on stand-alone nanomaterial-based sensors being highly sensitive and specific to individual breath compounds over others, or on combinations of several highly specific sensors, or on experimental nanomaterial-based sensors arrays. Other interesting approaches include the adaption of a commercially available MOx-based sensor array to indirect breath testing applications, using a sample pre-concentration method, and the development of compact integrated GC-sensor systems. The recent trend towards device integration has led to the development of fully integrated prototypes of point-of-care devices. We describe and compare the performance of several prototypes that are based on different sensing technologies and evaluate their potential as low-cost and readily available next-generation medical devices.

Low Power Consumption Gas Sensor Created from Silicon Nanowires/TiO2 Core-Shell Heterojunctions.

PubMed

Liu, Dong; Lin, Leimiao; Chen, Qiaofen; Zhou, Hongzhi; Wu, Jianmin

2017-10-27

Silicon nanowires/TiO 2 (SiNWs/TiO 2 ) array with core-shell nanostructure was created by sol-gel and drop-casting methods. The hybrid material displayed excellent sensing performance for CH 4 detection at room temperature. The chemiresistor sensor has a linear response toward CH 4 gas in the 30-120 ppm range with a detection limit of 20 ppm, which is well below most CH 4 sensors reported before. The enhanced gas sensing performance at room temperature was attributed to the creation of heterojunctions that form a depletion layer at the interface of SiNWs and TiO 2 layer. Adsorption of oxygen and corresponding gas analyte on TiO 2 layer could induce the change of depletion layer thickness and consequently the width of the SiNWs conductive channel, leading to a sensitive conductive response toward gas analyte. Compared to conventional metal oxide gas sensors, the room temperature gas sensors constructed from SiNWs/TiO 2 do not need an additional heating device and work at power at the μW level. The low power consumption feature is of great importance for sensing devices, if they are widely deployed and connected to the Internet of Things. The innovation of room temperature sensing materials may push forward the integration of gas sensing element with wireless device.

Facile fabrication of a well-ordered porous Cu-doped SnO2 thin film for H2S sensing.

PubMed

Zhang, Shumin; Zhang, Pingping; Wang, Yun; Ma, Yanyun; Zhong, Jun; Sun, Xuhui

2014-09-10

Well-ordered Cu-doped and undoped SnO2 porous thin films with large specific surface areas have been fabricated on a desired substrate using a self-assembled soft template combined with simple physical cosputtering deposition. The Cu-doped SnO2 porous film gas sensor shows a significant enhancement in its sensing performance, including a high sensitivity, selectivity, and a fast response and recovery time. The sensitivity of the Cu-doped SnO2 porous sensor is 1 order of magnitude higher than that of the undoped SnO2 sensor, with average response and recovery times to 100 ppm of H2S of ∼ 10.1 and ∼ 42.4 s, respectively, at the optimal operating temperature of 180 °C. The well-defined porous sensors fabricated by the method also exhibit high reproducibility because of the accurately controlled fabrication process. The facile process can be easily extended to the fabrication of other semiconductor oxide gas sensors with easy doping and multilayer porous nanostructure for practical sensing applications.

Functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube based sensors for distributed methane leak detection

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents a highly sensitive, energy efficient and low-cost distributed methane (CH4) sensor system (DMSS) for continuous monitoring, detection and localization of CH4 leaks in natural gas infrastructure such as transmission and distribution pipelines, wells, and produc...

Ultra-Low-Power Smart Electronic Nose System Based on Three-Dimensional Tin Oxide Nanotube Arrays.

PubMed

Chen, Jiaqi; Chen, Zhuo; Boussaid, Farid; Zhang, Daquan; Pan, Xiaofang; Zhao, Huijuan; Bermak, Amine; Tsui, Chi-Ying; Wang, Xinran; Fan, Zhiyong

2018-06-04

In this work, we present a high-performance smart electronic nose (E-nose) system consisting of a multiplexed tin oxide (SnO 2 ) nanotube sensor array, read-out circuit, wireless data transmission unit, mobile phone receiver, and data processing application (App). Using the designed nanotube sensor device structure in conjunction with multiple electrode materials, high-sensitivity gas detection and discrimination have been achieved at room temperature, enabling a 1000 times reduction of the sensor's power consumption as compared to a conventional device using thin film SnO 2 . The experimental results demonstrate that the developed E-nose can identify indoor target gases using a simple vector-matching gas recognition algorithm. In addition, the fabricated E-nose has achieved state-of-the-art sensitivity for H 2 and benzene detection at room temperature with metal oxide sensors. Such a smart E-nose system can address the imperative needs for distributed environmental monitoring in smart homes, smart buildings, and smart cities.

Cross-correlation focus method with an electrostatic sensor array for local particle velocity measurement in dilute gas-solid two-phase flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chao; Zhang, Jingyu; Gao, Wenbin; Ding, Hongbing; Wu, Weiping

2015-11-01

The gas-solid two-phase flow has been widely applied in the power, chemical and metallurgical industries. It is of great significance in the research of gas-solid two-phase flow to measure particle velocity at different locations in the pipeline. Thus, an electrostatic sensor array comprising eight arc-shaped electrodes was designed. The relationship between the cross-correlation (CC) velocity and the distribution of particle velocity, charge density and electrode spatial sensitivity was analysed. Then the CC sensitivity and its calculation method were proposed. According to the distribution of CC sensitivity, it was found that, between different electrode pairs, it had different focus areas. The CC focus method was proposed for particle velocity measurement at different locations and validated by a belt-style electrostatic induction experiment facility. Finally, the particle velocities at different locations with different flow conditions were measured to research the particle velocity distribution in a dilute horizontal pneumatic conveying pipeline.

Research on fiber-optic cantilever-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy for trace gas detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ke; Zhou, Xinlei; Gong, Zhenfeng; Yu, Shaochen; Qu, Chao; Guo, Min; Yu, Qingxu

2018-01-01

We demonstrate a new scheme of cantilever-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy, combining a sensitivity-improved fiber-optic cantilever acoustic sensor with a tunable high-power fiber laser, for trace gas detection. The Fabry-Perot interferometer based cantilever acoustic sensor has advantages such as high sensitivity, small size, easy to install and immune to electromagnetic. Tunable erbium-doped fiber ring laser with an erbium-doped fiber amplifier is used as the light source for acoustic excitation. In order to improve the sensitivity for photoacoustic signal detection, a first-order longitudinal resonant photoacoustic cell with the resonant frequency of 1624 Hz and a large size cantilever with the first resonant frequency of 1687 Hz are designed. The size of the cantilever is 2.1 mm×1 mm, and the thickness is 10 μm. With the wavelength modulation spectrum and second-harmonic detection methods, trace ammonia (NH3) has been measured. The gas detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio = 1) near the wavelength of 1522.5 nm is achieved to be 3 ppb.

Dataset from chemical gas sensor array in turbulent wind tunnel.

PubMed

Fonollosa, Jordi; Rodríguez-Luján, Irene; Trincavelli, Marco; Huerta, Ramón

2015-06-01

The dataset includes the acquired time series of a chemical detection platform exposed to different gas conditions in a turbulent wind tunnel. The chemo-sensory elements were sampling directly the environment. In contrast to traditional approaches that include measurement chambers, open sampling systems are sensitive to dispersion mechanisms of gaseous chemical analytes, namely diffusion, turbulence, and advection, making the identification and monitoring of chemical substances more challenging. The sensing platform included 72 metal-oxide gas sensors that were positioned at 6 different locations of the wind tunnel. At each location, 10 distinct chemical gases were released in the wind tunnel, the sensors were evaluated at 5 different operating temperatures, and 3 different wind speeds were generated in the wind tunnel to induce different levels of turbulence. Moreover, each configuration was repeated 20 times, yielding a dataset of 18,000 measurements. The dataset was collected over a period of 16 months. The data is related to "On the performance of gas sensor arrays in open sampling systems using Inhibitory Support Vector Machines", by Vergara et al.[1]. The dataset can be accessed publicly at the UCI repository upon citation of [1]: http://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets/Gas+sensor+arrays+in+open+sampling+settings.

Analysis of the Sensitivity of K-Type Molecular Sieve-Deposited MWNTs for the Detection of SF6 Decomposition Gases under Partial Discharge

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaoxing; Li, Xin; Luo, Chenchen; Dong, Xingchen; Zhou, Lei

2015-01-01

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is widely utilized in gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). However, part of SF6 decomposes into different components under partial discharge (PD) conditions. Previous research has shown that the gas responses of intrinsic and 4 Å-type molecular sieve-deposited multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to SOF2 and SO2F2, two important decomposition components of SF6, are not obvious. In this study, a K-type molecular sieve-deposited MWNTs sensor was developed. Its gas response characteristics and the influence of the mixture ratios of gases on the gas-sensing properties were studied. The results showed that, for sensors with gas mixture ratios of 5:1, 10:1, and 20:1, the resistance change rate increased by nearly 13.0% after SOF2 adsorption, almost 10 times that of MWNTs sensors, while the sensors’ resistance change rate with a mixture ratio of 10:1 reached 17.3% after SO2F2 adsorption, nearly nine times that of intrinsic MWNT sensors. Besides, a good linear relationship was observed between concentration of decomposition components and the resistance change rate of sensors. PMID:26569245

Study of catalytic reaction processes on the {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} chemiluminescence-based gas sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Utsunomiya, K.; Nakagawa, M.; Nishiyama, K.

The authors have investigated a new chemiluminescence (CL)-based gas sensor made of aluminum oxide ({gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) which emits CL during the catalytic oxidation of combustible vapors in air. The CL intensity is proportional to the concentration in the wide region from 1 to 1000 ppm of ethanol, butanol and acetone in air. However, it has a tendency to saturate in concentrations above 1000 ppm. For the detection of vapors in the environmental atmosphere, improvements of the sensitivity and the linear characteristics of the sensor are necessary. Catalytic reaction processes on the sensor were studied for this purpose.

Sensing of low concentration of ammonia at room temperature by cadmium sulphide nanoparticle decorated multiwalled carbon nanotube: fabrication and characterisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasnahena, S. T.; Roy, M.

2017-12-01

A chemical approach to fabricate a CdS-attached multiwall carbon nanotube (CdS/MWCNT) based on NH3 gas sensor is presented. During chemical assemblage the formation of the chemical composition and chemical state of CdS/MWCNT, evaluated through XPS, is also enumerated in this work. Results on NH3 gas sensitivity at room temperature with theoretical interpretation make this work noticeable. The overall finding is that the CdS/MWCNT sensor senses NH3 at room temperature as low as 10 ppb concentration. The sensor shows good reproducibility and stability, construed on the performance of the sensor over a period of six months.

Review of model sensor studies on Pd/SnO2(110) surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fryberger, Teresa B.; Semancik, Steve

1990-01-01

Studies performed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology on the model gas sensor system, Pd/SnO2(110), are reviewed. Adsorption and interfacial effects play a primary role in the gas sensing process, as they do in catalysis. For this reason, researchers have used a variety of surface sensitive techniques in the research, including x ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopies (XPS and UPS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS). By combining these complementary techniques with in situ gas response (conductance) measurements, researchers were able to correlate directly sensor activity with the composition and structure of the Pd/SnO2 interface. Although the intent of this work is to develop an understanding of gas sensing mechanisms, its relevance to Pt/SnO2 catalytic systems is obvious.

Conductive Polymer Synthesis with Single-Crystallinity via a Novel Plasma Polymerization Technique for Gas Sensor Applications.

PubMed

Park, Choon-Sang; Kim, Dong Ha; Shin, Bhum Jae; Kim, Do Yeob; Lee, Hyung-Kun; Tae, Heung-Sik

2016-09-30

This study proposes a new nanostructured conductive polymer synthesis method that can grow the single-crystalline high-density plasma-polymerized nanoparticle structures by enhancing the sufficient nucleation and fragmentation of the pyrrole monomer using a novel atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) technique. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) results show that the plasma-polymerized pyrrole (pPPy) nanoparticles have a fast deposition rate of 0.93 µm·min -1 under a room-temperature process and have single-crystalline characteristics with porous properties. In addition, the single-crystalline high-density pPPy nanoparticle structures were successfully synthesized on the glass, plastic, and interdigitated gas sensor electrode substrates using a novel plasma polymerization technique at room temperature. To check the suitability of the active layer for the fabrication of electrochemical toxic gas sensors, the resistance variations of the pPPy nanoparticles grown on the interdigitated gas sensor electrodes were examined by doping with iodine. As a result, the proposed APPJ device could obtain the high-density and ultra-fast single-crystalline pPPy thin films for various gas sensor applications. This work will contribute to the design of highly sensitive gas sensors adopting the novel plasma-polymerized conductive polymer as new active layer.

Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds by Self-assembled Monolayer Coated Sensor Array with Concentration-independent Fingerprints

PubMed Central

Chang, Ye; Tang, Ning; Qu, Hemi; Liu, Jing; Zhang, Daihua; Zhang, Hao; Pang, Wei; Duan, Xuexin

2016-01-01

In this paper, we have modeled and analyzed affinities and kinetics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adsorption (and desorption) on various surface chemical groups using multiple self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) functionalized film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) array. The high-frequency and micro-scale resonator provides improved sensitivity in the detections of VOCs at trace levels. With the study of affinities and kinetics, three concentration-independent intrinsic parameters (monolayer adsorption capacity, adsorption energy constant and desorption rate) of gas-surface interactions are obtained to contribute to a multi-parameter fingerprint library of VOC analytes. Effects of functional group’s properties on gas-surface interactions are also discussed. The proposed sensor array with concentration-independent fingerprint library shows potential as a portable electronic nose (e-nose) system for VOCs discrimination and gas-sensitive materials selections. PMID:27045012

Enhancement in sensitivity of copper sulfide thin film ammonia gas sensor: Effect of swift heavy ion irradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sagade, Abhay Abhimanyu; Sharma, Ramphal; Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Sungdong-Ku, Haengdang-dong 17, Seoul 133-791

2009-02-15

The studies are carried out on the effect of swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation on surface morphology and electrical properties of copper sulfide (Cu{sub x}S) thin films with three different chemical compositions (x values). The irradiation experiments have been carried out on Cu{sub x}S films with x=1.4, 1.8, and 2 by 100 MeV gold heavy ions at room temperature. These as-deposited and irradiated thin films have been used to detect ammonia gas at room temperature (300 K). The SHI irradiation treatment on x=1.4 and 1.8 copper sulfide films enhances the sensitivity of the gas sensor. The results are discussed consideringmore » high electronic energy deposition by 100 MeV gold heavy ions in a matrix of copper sulfide.« less

One-Minute Fish Freshness Evaluation by Testing the Volatile Amine Gas with an Ultrasensitive Porous-Electrode-Capped Organic Gas Sensor System.

PubMed

Chang, Liang-Yu; Chuang, Ming-Yen; Zan, Hsiao-Wen; Meng, Hsin-Fei; Lu, Chia-Jung; Yeh, Ping-Hung; Chen, Jian-Nan

2017-04-28

In this work, we successfully demonstrate a fast method to determine the fish freshness by using a sensing system containing an ultrasensitive amine gas sensor to detect the volatile amine gas from the raw fish meat. When traditional titration method takes 4 h and complicated steps to test the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) as a worldwide standard for fish freshness, our sensor takes 1 min to deliver an electrical sensing response that is highly correlated with the TVB-N value. When detecting a fresh fish with a TVB-N as 18 mg/100 g, the sensor delivers an effective ammonia concentration as 100 ppb. For TVB-N as 28-35 mg/100 g, a well-accepted freshness limit, the effective ammonia concentration is as 200-300 ppb. The ppb-regime sensitivity of the sensor and the humidity control in the sensing system are the keys to realizing fast and accurate detection. It is expected that the results in this report enable the development of on-site freshness detection and real-time monitoring in a fish factory.

Development of High Temperature Gas Sensor Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Chen, Liang-Yu; Neudeck, Philip G.; Knight, Dak; Liu, Chung-Chiun; Wu, Quing-Hai; Zhou, Huan-Jun

1997-01-01

The measurement of engine emissions is important for their monitoring and control. However, the ability to measure these emissions in-situ is limited. We are developing a family of high temperature gas sensors which are intended to operate in harsh environments such as those in an engine. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: (1) The development of SiC-based semiconductor technology; and (2) Improvements in micromachining and microfabrication technology. These technologies are being used to develop point-contact sensors to measure gases which are important in emission control especially hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and oxygen. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of this point-contact sensor technology. The detection of each type of gas involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. Of particular importance is sensor sensitivity, selectivity, and stability in long-term, high temperature operation. An overview is presented of each sensor type with an evaluation of its stage of development. It is concluded that this technology has significant potential for use in engine applications but further development is necessary.

Performance of a fire detector based on a compact laser spectroscopic carbon monoxide sensor.

PubMed

Hangauer, A; Chen, J; Strzoda, R; Fleischer, M; Amann, M-C

2014-06-02

In this paper we show the suitability of a miniaturized tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLS)-based carbon-monoxide (CO) sensor for fire detection applications. The sensor utilizes a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and inherent calibration scheme with reference gas filled in the photodetector housing. The fire-detection experiments are carried out under realistic conditions as described in the European standard EN54. The CO generation of all class C fires (according to EN54) could be well resolved. The cross-sensitivity to other substances was found to be very low: the maximum CO false response from cigarette smoke, hairspray and general aerosols reaches a low value of a few μL/L and only if the substance is directly applied into the sensor gas inlet. Therefore this sensor overcomes the disadvantage of high false alarm rate given by smoke detectors and is also in small size which is suitable for household and industrial applications. Hence, the VCSEL-based TDLS sensor is shown to have sufficient performance for fire-detection. It has advantages such as capability for fail-safe operation and, low cross-sensitivities as compared to existing point fire detector technology which is presently limited by these factors.

QCM gas phase detection with ceramic materials--VOCs and oil vapors.

PubMed

Latif, Usman; Rohrer, Andreas; Lieberzeit, Peter A; Dickert, Franz L

2011-06-01

Titanate sol-gel layers imprinted with carbonic acids were used as sensitive layers on quartz crystal microbalance. These functionalized ceramics enable us detection of volatile organic compounds such as ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, n-hexane, n-heptane, n-/iso-octane, and n-decane. Variation of the precursors (i.e., tetrabutoxy titanium, tetrapropoxy titanium, tetraethoxy titanium) allows us to tune the sensitivity of the material by a factor of 7. Sensitivity as a function of precursors leads to selective inclusion of n-butanol vapors down to 1 ppm. The selectivity of materials is optimized to differentiate between isomers, e.g., n- and iso-octane. The results can be rationalized by correlating the sensor effects of hydrocarbons with the Wiener index. A mass-sensitive sensor based on titanate layer was also developed for monitoring emanation of degraded engine oil. Heating the sensor by a meander avoids vapor condensation. Thus, a continuously working oil quality sensor was designed.

Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for the Oil Industry

PubMed Central

Qiao, Xueguang; Shao, Zhihua; Bao, Weijia; Rong, Qiangzhou

2017-01-01

With the oil and gas industry growing rapidly, increasing the yield and profit require advances in technology for cost-effective production in key areas of reservoir exploration and in oil-well production-management. In this paper we review our group’s research into fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and their applications in the oil industry, especially in the well-logging field. FBG sensors used for seismic exploration in the oil and gas industry need to be capable of measuring multiple physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, and acoustic waves in a hostile environment. This application requires that the FBG sensors display high sensitivity over the broad vibration frequency range of 5 Hz to 2.5 kHz, which contains the important geological information. We report the incorporation of mechanical transducers in the FBG sensors to enable enhance the sensors’ amplitude and frequency response. Whenever the FBG sensors are working within a well, they must withstand high temperatures and high pressures, up to 175 °C and 40 Mpa or more. We use femtosecond laser side-illumination to ensure that the FBGs themselves have the high temperature resistance up to 1100 °C. Using FBG sensors combined with suitable metal transducers, we have experimentally realized high- temperature and pressure measurements up to 400 °C and 100 Mpa. We introduce a novel technology of ultrasonic imaging of seismic physical models using FBG sensors, which is superior to conventional seismic exploration methods. Compared with piezoelectric transducers, FBG ultrasonic sensors demonstrate superior sensitivity, more compact structure, improved spatial resolution, high stability and immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI). In the last section, we present a case study of a well-logging field to demonstrate the utility of FBG sensors in the oil and gas industry. PMID:28241460

Effect of Water Vapor and Surface Morphology on the Low Temperature Response of Metal Oxide Semiconductor Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Maier, Konrad; Helwig, Andreas; Müller, Gerhard; Hille, Pascal; Eickhoff, Martin

2015-01-01

In this work the low temperature response of metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors is analyzed. Important characteristics of this low-temperature response are a pronounced selectivity to acid- and base-forming gases and a large disparity of response and recovery time constants which often leads to an integrator-type of gas response. We show that this kind of sensor performance is related to the trend of semiconductor gas sensors to adsorb water vapor in multi-layer form and that this ability is sensitively influenced by the surface morphology. In particular we show that surface roughness in the nanometer range enhances desorption of water from multi-layer adsorbates, enabling them to respond more swiftly to changes in the ambient humidity. Further experiments reveal that reactive gases, such as NO2 and NH3, which are easily absorbed in the water adsorbate layers, are more easily exchanged across the liquid/air interface when the humidity in the ambient air is high. PMID:28793583

A Ni-Doped Carbon Nanotube Sensor for Detecting Oil-Dissolved Gases in Transformers

PubMed Central

Lu, Jia; Zhang, Xiaoxing; Wu, Xiaoqing; Dai, Ziqiang; Zhang, Jinbin

2015-01-01

C2H2, C2H4, and C2H6 are important oil-dissolved gases in power transformers. Detection of the composition and content of oil-dissolved gases in transformers is very significant in the diagnosis and assessment of the state of transformer operations. The commonly used oil-gas analysis methods have many disadvantages, so this paper proposes a Ni-doped carbon nanotube (Ni-CNT) gas sensor to effectively detect oil-dissolved gases in a transformer. The gas-sensing properties of the sensor to C2H2, C2H4, and C2H6 were studied using the test device. Based on the density functional theory (DFT) the adsorption behaviors of the three gases on intrinsic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Ni-CNTs were calculated. The adsorption energy, charge transfer, and molecular frontier orbital of the adsorption system were also analyzed. Results showed that the sensitivity of the CNT sensor to the three kinds of gases was in the following order: C2H2 > C2H4 > C2H6. Moreover, the doped Ni improved the sensor response, and the sensor response and gas concentration have a good linear relationship. PMID:26066989

A Ni-Doped Carbon Nanotube Sensor for Detecting Oil-Dissolved Gases in Transformers.

PubMed

Lu, Jia; Zhang, Xiaoxing; Wu, Xiaoqing; Dai, Ziqiang; Zhang, Jinbin

2015-06-09

C2H2, C2H4, and C2H6 are important oil-dissolved gases in power transformers. Detection of the composition and content of oil-dissolved gases in transformers is very significant in the diagnosis and assessment of the state of transformer operations. The commonly used oil-gas analysis methods have many disadvantages, so this paper proposes a Ni-doped carbon nanotube (Ni-CNT) gas sensor to effectively detect oil-dissolved gases in a transformer. The gas-sensing properties of the sensor to C2H2, C2H4, and C2H6 were studied using the test device. Based on the density functional theory (DFT) the adsorption behaviors of the three gases on intrinsic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Ni-CNTs were calculated. The adsorption energy, charge transfer, and molecular frontier orbital of the adsorption system were also analyzed. Results showed that the sensitivity of the CNT sensor to the three kinds of gases was in the following order: C2H2 > C2H4 > C2H6. Moreover, the doped Ni improved the sensor response, and the sensor response and gas concentration have a good linear relationship.

Chip-to-chip SnO2 nanowire network sensors for room temperature H2 detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köck, A.; Brunet, E.; Mutinati, G. C.; Maier, T.; Steinhauer, S.

2012-06-01

The employment of nanowires is a very powerful strategy to improve gas sensor performance. We demonstrate a gas sensor device, which is based on silicon chip-to-chip synthesis of ultralong tin oxide (SnO2) nanowires. The sensor device employs an interconnected SnO2 nanowire network configuration, which exhibits a huge surface-to-volume ratio and provides full access of the target gas to the nanowires. The chip-to-chip SnO2 nanowire device is able to detect a H2 concentration of only 20 ppm in synthetic air with ~ 60% relative humidity at room temperature. At an operating temperature of 300°C a concentration of 50 ppm H2 results in a sensitivity of 5%. At this elevated temperature the sensor shows a linear response in a concentration range between 10 ppm and 100 ppm H2. The SnO2-nanowire fabrication procedure based on spray pyrolysis and subsequent annealing is performed at atmospheric pressure, requires no vacuum and allows upscale of the substrate to a wafer size. 3D-integration with CMOS chips is proposed as viable way for practical realization of smart nanowire based gas sensor devices for the consumer market.

High Sensitivity Gas Detection Using a Macroscopic Three-Dimensional Graphene Foam Network

PubMed Central

Yavari, Fazel; Chen, Zongping; Thomas, Abhay V.; Ren, Wencai; Cheng, Hui-Ming; Koratkar, Nikhil

2011-01-01

Nanostructures are known to be exquisitely sensitive to the chemical environment and offer ultra-high sensitivity for gas-sensing. However, the fabrication and operation of devices that use individual nanostructures for sensing is complex, expensive and suffers from poor reliability due to contamination and large variability from sample-to-sample. By contrast, conventional solid-state and conducting-polymer sensors offer excellent reliability but suffer from reduced sensitivity at room-temperature. Here we report a macro graphene foam-like three-dimensional network which combines the best of both worlds. The walls of the foam are comprised of few-layer graphene sheets resulting in high sensitivity; we demonstrate parts-per-million level detection of NH3 and NO2 in air at room-temperature. Further, the foam is a mechanically robust and flexible macro-scale network that is easy to contact (without Lithography) and can rival the durability and affordability of traditional sensors. Moreover, Joule-heating expels chemisorbed molecules from the foam's surface leading to fully-reversible and low-power operation. PMID:22355681

Ni: Fe2O3, Mg: Fe2O3 and Fe2O3 thin films gas sensor application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saritas, Sevda; Kundakci, Mutlu; Coban, Omer; Tuzemen, Sebahattin; Yildirim, Muhammet

2018-07-01

Iron oxide is a widely used sensitive material for gas sensor applications. They have fascinated much attention in the field of gas sensing and detecting under atmospheric conditions and at 200 °C temperature due to their low cost in production; simplicity and fast of their use; large number of detectable gases. Iron oxide gas sensors constitute investigated for hazardous gases used in various fields. The morphological structure (particle size, pore size, etc.), optical, magnetic and electrical properties of Ni:Fe2O3, Mg:Fe2O3 and Fe2O3 thin films which grown by Spray pyrolysis (SP) have been investigated. XRD, Raman and AFM techniques have been used for structural analysis. AFM measurements have been provided very useful information about surface topography. I-V (Van der Pauw) technique has been used for response of gas sensor. These devices offer a wide variety of advantages over traditional analytical instruments such as low cost, short response time, easy manufacturing, and small size.

Titanium and Ruthenium Phthalocyanines for NO2 Sensors: A Mini-Review

PubMed Central

Paoletti, Anna Maria; Pennesi, Giovanna; Rossi, Gentilina; Generosi, Amanda; Paci, Barbara; Albertini, Valerio Rossi

2009-01-01

This review presents studies devoted to the description and comprehension of phenomena connected with the sensing behaviour towards NO2 of films of two phthalocyanines, titanium bis-phthalocyanine and ruthenium phthalocyanine. Spectroscopic, conductometric, and morphological features recorded during exposure to the gas are explained and the mechanisms of gas-molecule interaction are also elucidated. The review also shows how X-ray reflectivity can be a useful tool for monitoring morphological parameters such as thickness and roughness that are demonstrated to be sensitive variables for monitoring the exposure of thin films of sensor materials to NO2 gas. PMID:22346697

A fiber optic sensor with a metal organic framework as a sensing material for trace levels of water in industrial gases.

PubMed

Ohira, Shin-Ichi; Miki, Yusuke; Matsuzaki, Toru; Nakamura, Nao; Sato, Yu-ki; Hirose, Yasuo; Toda, Kei

2015-07-30

Industrial gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and helium are easily contaminated with water during production, transfer and use, because there is a high volume fraction of water in the atmosphere (approximately 1.2% estimated with the average annual atmospheric temperature and relative humidity). Even trace water (<1 parts per million by volume (ppmv) of H2O, dew point < -76 °C) in the industrial gases can cause quality problems in the process such as production of semiconductors. Therefore, it is important to monitor and to control trace water levels in industrial gases at each supplying step, and especially during their use. In the present study, a fiber optic gas sensor was investigated for monitoring trace water levels in industrial gases. The sensor consists of a film containing a metal organic framework (MOF). MOFs are made of metals coordinated to organic ligands, and have mesoscale pores that adsorb gas molecules. When the MOF, copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Cu-BTC), was used as a sensing material, we investigated the color of Cu-BTC with water adsorption changed both in depth and tone. Cu-BTC crystals appeared deep blue in dry gases, and then changed to light blue in wet gases. An optical gas sensor with the Cu-BTC film was developed using a light emitting diode as the light source and a photodiode as the light intensity detector. The sensor showed a reversible response to trace water, did not require heating to remove the adsorbed water molecules. The sample gas flow rate did not affect the sensitivity. The obtained limit of detection was 40 parts per billion by volume (ppbv). The response time for sample gas containing 2.5 ppmvH2O was 23 s. The standard deviation obtained for daily analysis of 1.0 ppmvH2O standard gas over 20 days was 9%. Furthermore, the type of industrial gas did not affect the sensitivity. These properties mean the sensor will be applicable to trace water detection in various industrial gases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ZnO:Al Thin Film Gas Sensor for Detection of Ethanol Vapor

PubMed Central

Chou, Shih Min; Teoh, Lay Gaik; Lai, Wei Hao; Su, Yen Hsun; Hon, Min Hsiung

2006-01-01

The ZnO:Al thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on Si substrate using Pt as interdigitated electrodes. The structure was characterized by XRD and SEM analyses, and the ethanol vapor gas sensing as well as electrical properties have been investigated and discussed. The gas sensing results show that the sensitivity for detecting 400 ppm ethanol vapor was ∼20 at an operating temperature of 250°C. The high sensitivity, fast recovery, and reliability suggest that ZnO:Al thin film prepared by RF magnetron sputtering can be used for ethanol vapor gas sensing.

Hall effect spintronics for gas detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerber, A.; Kopnov, G.; Karpovski, M.

2017-10-01

We present the concept of magnetic gas detection by the extraordinary Hall effect. The technique is compatible with the existing conductometric gas detection technologies and allows the simultaneous measurement of two independent parameters: resistivity and magnetization affected by the target gas. Feasibility of the approach is demonstrated by detecting low concentration hydrogen using thin CoPd films as the sensor material. The Hall effect sensitivity of the optimized samples exceeds 240% per 104 ppm at hydrogen concentrations below 0.5% in the hydrogen/nitrogen atmosphere, which is more than two orders of magnitude higher than the sensitivity of the conductance detection.

Exploiting Cross-sensitivity by Bayesian Decoding of Mixed Potential Sensor Arrays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kreller, Cortney

LANL mixed-potential electrochemical sensor (MPES) device arrays were coupled with advanced Bayesian inference treatment of the physical model of relevant sensor-analyte interactions. We demonstrated that our approach could be used to uniquely discriminate the composition of ternary gas sensors with three discreet MPES sensors with an average error of less than 2%. We also observed that the MPES exhibited excellent stability over a year of operation at elevated temperatures in the presence of test gases.

Development of metal oxide gas sensors for very low concentration (ppb) of BTEX vapors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favard, A.; Aguir, K.; Contaret, T.; Caris, L.; Bendahan, M.

2017-12-01

The control and analysis of air quality have become a major preoccupation of the last twenty years. In 2008, the European Union has introduced a Directive (2008/50/EC) to impose measurement obligations and thresholds to not exceed for some pollutants, including BTEX gases, in view of their adverse effects on the health. In this paper, we show the ability to detect very low concentrations of BTEX using a gas microsensor based on metal oxide thin-film. A test bench able to generate very low vapors concentrations has been achieved and fully automated. Thin metal oxides layers have been realized by reactive magnetron sputtering. The sensitive layers are functionalized with gold nanoparticles by thermal evaporation technique. Our sensors have been tested on a wide range of concentrations of BTEX (5 - 500 ppb) and have been able to detect concentrations of a few ppb for operating temperatures below 593 K. These results are very promising for detection of very low BTEX concentration for indoor as well as outdoor application. We showed that the addition of gold nanoparticles on the sensitive layers decreases the sensors operating temperature and increases the response to BTEX gas. The best results are obtained with a sensitive layer based on ZnO.

Metal-Free Cataluminescence Gas Sensor for Hydrogen Sulfide Based on Its Catalytic Oxidation on Silicon Carbide Nanocages.

PubMed

Wu, Liqian; Zhang, Lichun; Sun, Mingxia; Liu, Rui; Yu, Lingzhu; Lv, Yi

2017-12-19

Cataluminescence- (CTL-) based sensors are among the most attractive and effective tools for gas sensing, owing to their efficient selectivity, high sensitivity, and rapidity. As the sensing materials of CTL-based sensors, metal-based catalysts easily bring about high costs and environmental pollution of heavy metals. More importantly, the long-term stability of metal-based catalysts is usually rather poor. Metal-free catalysts have unique advantages such as environmental friendliness, low costs, and long-term stability, making them promising materials for CTL-based sensors. Herein, we report the fabrication of a CTL sensor based on a metal-free catalyst. F-doped cage-like SiC was synthesized by wet chemical etching. The as-prepared products showed a rapid, stable, highly selective, and sensitive cataluminescent response to H 2 S. The stability of the sensor was demonstrated to be fairly good for at least 15 days. After CTL tests, F-doped cage-like SiC retained its original morphology, structure, and chemical composition. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a metal-free CTL sensor. Metal-free catalysts are environmentally friendly and low in cost and exhibit long-term stability, which could open a new avenue of CTL sensing.

Diode laser absorption sensors for gas-dynamic and combustion flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, M. G.

1998-01-01

Recent advances in room-temperature, near-IR and visible diode laser sources for tele-communication, high-speed computer networks, and optical data storage applications are enabling a new generation of gas-dynamic and combustion-flow sensors based on laser absorption spectroscopy. In addition to conventional species concentration and density measurements, spectroscopic techniques for temperature, velocity, pressure and mass flux have been demonstrated in laboratory, industrial and technical flows. Combined with fibreoptic distribution networks and ultrasensitive detection strategies, compact and portable sensors are now appearing for a variety of applications. In many cases, the superior spectroscopic quality of the new laser sources compared with earlier cryogenic, mid-IR devices is allowing increased sensitivity of trace species measurements, high-precision spectroscopy of major gas constituents, and stable, autonomous measurement systems. The purpose of this article is to review recent progress in this field and suggest likely directions for future research and development. The various laser-source technologies are briefly reviewed as they relate to sensor applications. Basic theory for laser absorption measurements of gas-dynamic properties is reviewed and special detection strategies for the weak near-IR and visible absorption spectra are described. Typical sensor configurations are described and compared for various application scenarios, ranging from laboratory research to automated field and airborne packages. Recent applications of gas-dynamic sensors for air flows and fluxes of trace atmospheric species are presented. Applications of gas-dynamic and combustion sensors to research and development of high-speed flows aeropropulsion engines, and combustion emissions monitoring are presented in detail, along with emerging flow control systems based on these new sensors. Finally, technology in nonlinear frequency conversion, UV laser materials, room-temperature mid-IR materials and broadly tunable multisection devices is reviewed to suggest new sensor possibilities.

The Different Sensitive Behaviors of a Hydrogen-Bond Acidic Polymer-Coated SAW Sensor for Chemical Warfare Agents and Their Simulants

PubMed Central

Long, Yin; Wang, Yang; Du, Xiaosong; Cheng, Luhua; Wu, Penglin; Jiang, Yadong

2015-01-01

A linear hydrogen-bond acidic (HBA) linear functionalized polymer (PLF), was deposited onto a bare surface acoustic wave (SAW) device to fabricate a chemical sensor. Real-time responses of the sensor to a series of compounds including sarin (GB), dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), mustard gas (HD), chloroethyl ethyl sulphide (2-CEES), 1,5-dichloropentane (DCP) and some organic solvents were studied. The results show that the sensor is highly sensitive to GB and DMMP, and has low sensitivity to HD and DCP, as expected. However, the sensor possesses an unexpected high sensitivity toward 2-CEES. This good sensing performance can’t be solely or mainly attributed to the dipole-dipole interaction since the sensor is not sensitive to some high polarity solvents. We believe the lone pair electrons around the sulphur atom of 2-CEES provide an electron-rich site, which facilitates the formation of hydrogen bonding between PLF and 2-CEES. On the contrary, the electron cloud on the sulphur atom of the HD molecule is offset or depleted by its two neighbouring strong electron-withdrawing groups, hence, hydrogen bonding can hardly be formed. PMID:26225975

Probing the Hydrogen Enhanced Near-Field Emission of ITO without a Vacuum-Gap

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poole, Jacob L.; Yu, Yang; Ohodnicki, Paul R.

In-situ monitoring of the multi-component gas streams in high temperature energy conversion devices offer the promises to higher efficiency via improved understanding of the chemical environments during device operation. While conventional resistive based metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors suffer from strong cross-sensitivity, optical sensing approaches offer intrinsic advantages to achieve gas selectivity based on wavelength specific interactions. This manuscript describes a novel method to achieve multicomponent gas sensing during gas exposure of H2, CO2, CH4and CO in humid high temperature environments. A single sensor element comprised of a perovskite La0.3Sr0.7TiO3(LSTO) oxide thin film layer coated on silica optical fiber wasmore » used. The sensing responses consisted of two wavelength-specific near infrared (NIR) mechanisms, namely broadband absorption associated with the metal oxide layer, and wavelength localized thermal emission responses associated with the hydroxyl defects within the silica fiber. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to couple the two mechanisms to achieve selective gas identification. Successful discrimination of H2and CO2on a single fiber sensor was achieved, where the results are both stable and reversible. This design demonstrates that by coupling multiple optical mechanisms on a single oxide coated fiber sensor, simple platforms can also achieve multi-component sensing functionality without the added complexity of a sensor array. Thus, it suggests a new approach to construct simple, robust and functional sensor designs capable of gas discrimination and quantification in multi-component gas streams.« less

UNITEC SENS-IT

EPA Science Inventory

The UniTec Sens-It is a small gas-sensing device that can measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This sensor is used to measure VOCs in applications such as urban air quality, roadside pollution, and (solid waste) landfill monitoring. This operating procedure explains what yo...

Highly Sensitive Sensors Based on Metal-Oxide Nanocolumns for Fire Detection.

PubMed

Lee, Kwangjae; Shim, Young-Seok; Song, Young Geun; Han, Soo Deok; Lee, Youn-Sung; Kang, Chong-Yun

2017-02-07

A fire detector is the most important component in a fire alarm system. Herein, we present the feasibility of a highly sensitive and rapid response gas sensor based on metal oxides as a high performance fire detector. The glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique is used to make the highly porous structure such as nanocolumns (NCs) of various metal oxides for enhancing the gas-sensing performance. To measure the fire detection, the interface circuitry for our sensors (NiO, SnO₂, WO₃ and In₂O₃ NCs) is designed. When all the sensors with various metal-oxide NCs are exposed to fire environment, they entirely react with the target gases emitted from Poly(vinyl chlorides) (PVC) decomposed at high temperature. Before the emission of smoke from the PVC (a hot-plate temperature of 200 °C), the resistances of the metal-oxide NCs are abruptly changed and SnO₂ NCs show the highest response of 2.1. However, a commercial smoke detector did not inform any warning. Interestingly, although the NiO NCs are a p -type semiconductor, they show the highest response of 577.1 after the emission of smoke from the PVC (a hot-plate temperature of 350 °C). The response time of SnO₂ NCs is much faster than that of a commercial smoke detector at the hot-plate temperature of 350 °C. In addition, we investigated the selectivity of our sensors by analyzing the responses of all sensors. Our results show the high potential of a gas sensor based on metal-oxide NCs for early fire detection.

Gas Sensor Based on 3-D WO₃ Inverse Opal: Design and Applications.

PubMed

Xing, Ruiqing; Du, Yang; Zhao, Xiaonan; Zhang, Xiu

2017-03-29

A three-dimensional inverse opal (3DIO) WO₃ architecture has been synthesized via a simple sacrificial template method. Morphology features of the 3DIO were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and its structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The shrinking ratio of the PMMA spheres was ~28.2% through measuring the distribution of the PMMA spheres and 3DIO WO₃ center-to-center distance between the spheres and macropores, respectively. Beyond that, the 3DIO gas sensing properties were investigated systematically and the sensing mechanism of 3DIO WO₃ was proposed. The results indicated that the response of the 3DIO sensor possessed excellent sensitivity to acetone gas, especially at trace levels. The 3DIO gas sensor response was ~7 to 5 ppm of acetone and could detect acetone low to 0.2 ppm effectively, which was in close proximity to the theoretical low detection limit of 0.14 ppm when R a /R g ≥ 1.2 was used as the criterion for reliable gas sensing. All in all, the obvious satisfaction of the gas-sensing properties was ascribed to the structure of the 3DIO, and the sensor could be a promising novel device in the future.

A commercialized, continuous flow fiber optic sensor for trichloroethylene and haloforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, James C.; Johnson, Mark D.

1994-01-01

Purus, Inc. has commercialized a fiber optic chemical sensor using technology developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and licensed from The University of California. The basis for the sensor is the development of color within a reagent when exposed to an analyte. The sensor consists of an optrode, reagent delivery and recover system, fiber optic transmitter-receiver, controller, and display. Reagent is pumped through the optrode. Analyte diffuses across a gas permeable membrane and reacts with the reagent to form a colored product. The colored product is detected by measuring the absorbance of light from a 568 nm diode. Reagents are currently available for TCE and trihalomethanes. Initial reagent chemistry is based on the Fujiwara alkaline pyridine reaction. The optrode contacts only gas streams, but the volatility of the current analytes also allows measurements of aqueous streams, without being affected by aqueous interferents that are non-volatile. Sensitivity of the sensor has been demonstrated to 5 ppb aqueous solutions and 0.1 ppmv in flowing gas streams.

Handheld chemiresistive gas sensor readout system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joubert, Trudi-Heleen; du Toit, Jurie; Mkwakikunga, Bonex; Bosscha, Peter

2016-02-01

Low-cost and non-invasive diabetes diagnosis is increasingly important [1], and this paper presents a handheld readout system for chemiresistive gas sensors in a breath acetone diagnostic application. The sensor contains reference and detection devices, used for the detection of gas concentration. Fabrication is by dropcasting a metaloxide nanowire solution onto gold interdigitated electrodes, which had been manufactured on silicon. The resulting layer is a wide bandgap n-type semiconductor material sensitive to acetone, producing a change in resistance between the electrode terminals [2]. Chemiresistive sensors typically require temperatures of 300-500 °C, while variation of sensing temperature is also employed for selective gas detection. The nano-structured functional material requires low temperatures due to large surface area, but heating is still required for acceptable recovery kinetics. Furthermore, UV illumination improves the sensor recovery [3], and is implemented in this system. Sensor resistances range from 100 Ω to 50 MΩ, while the sensor response time require a sampling frequency of 10Hz. Sensor resistance depends on temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. The GE CC2A23 temperature sensor is used over a range of -10°C to 60°C, the Honeywell HIH5031 humidity sensor operates up to 85% over this temperature range, and the LPS331AP barometric pressure sensor measures up to 1.25 bar. Honeywell AWM43300V air flow sensors monitor the flow rate up to 1000 sccm. An LCD screen displays all the sensor data, as well as real time date and time, while all measurements are also logged in CSV-format. The system operates from a rechargeable battery.

The Laser-Assisted Field Effect Transistor Gas Sensor Based on Morphological Zinc-Excited Tin-Doped In2O3 Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shariati, Mohsen; Khosravinejad, Fariba

The gas nanosensor of indium oxide nanowires in laser assisted approach, doped with tin and zinc for gas sensing and 1D growth purposes respectively, was reported. The nanowires were very sensitive to H2S gas in low concentration of 20ppb gas at room temperature. The fast dynamic intensive and sensitive response to gas was in a few seconds with an on/off sensitivity ratio of around 10. The square cross-section indium oxide nanowires were fabricated through physical vapor deposition (PVD) mechanism and annealing approach. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) observations indicated that the annealing temperature was vital in nanostructures’ morphology. The fabricated nanowires for the optimized annealing temperature in applied growth technique were around 60nm in diameter.

Perovskite nanoparticle-sensitized Ga 2O 3 nanorod arrays for CO detection at high temperature

DOE PAGES

Lin, Hui -Jan; Baltrus, John P.; Gao, Haiyong; ...

2016-04-04

Here, noble metal nanoparticles are extensively used for sensitizing metal oxide chemical sensors through the catalytic spillover mechanism. However, due to earth-scarcity and high cost of noble metals, finding replacements presents a great economic benefit. Besides, high temperature and harsh environment sensor applications demand material stability under conditions approaching thermal and chemical stability limits of noble metals. In this study, we employed thermally stable perovskite-type La 0.8Sr 0.2FeO 3 (LSFO) nanoparticle surface decoration on Ga 2O 3 nanorod array gas sensors and discovered an order of magnitude enhanced sensitivity to carbon monoxide at 500 °C. The LSFO nanoparticle catalysts wasmore » of comparable performance to that achieved by Pt nanoparticles, with a much lower weight loading than Pt. Detailed electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies suggested the LSFO nanoparticle sensitization effect is attributed to a spillover-like effect associated with the gas-LSFO-Ga 2O 3 triple-interfaces that spread the negatively charged surface oxygen ions from LSFO nanoparticles surfaces over to β-Ga 2O 3 nanorod surfaces with faster surface CO oxidation reactions.« less

Perovskite Nanoparticle-Sensitized Ga2O3 Nanorod Arrays for CO Detection at High Temperature.

PubMed

Lin, Hui-Jan; Baltrus, John P; Gao, Haiyong; Ding, Yong; Nam, Chang-Yong; Ohodnicki, Paul; Gao, Pu-Xian

2016-04-13

Noble metal nanoparticles are extensively used for sensitizing metal oxide chemical sensors through the catalytic spillover mechanism. However, due to earth-scarcity and high cost of noble metals, finding replacements presents a great economic benefit. Besides, high temperature and harsh environment sensor applications demand material stability under conditions approaching thermal and chemical stability limits of noble metals. In this study, we employed thermally stable perovskite-type La(0.8)Sr(0.2)FeO3 (LSFO) nanoparticle surface decoration on Ga2O3 nanorod array gas sensors and discovered an order of magnitude enhanced sensitivity to carbon monoxide at 500 °C. The LSFO nanoparticle catalysts was of comparable performance to that achieved by Pt nanoparticles, with a much lower weight loading than Pt. Detailed electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies suggested the LSFO nanoparticle sensitization effect is attributed to a spillover-like effect associated with the gas-LSFO-Ga2O3 triple-interfaces that spread the negatively charged surface oxygen ions from LSFO nanoparticles surfaces over to β-Ga2O3 nanorod surfaces with faster surface CO oxidation reactions.

Carbon dioxide gas sensor based on optical control of color in liquid indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oblov, K. Yu; Ivanova, A. V.; Soloviev, S. A.; Zhdanov, S. V.; Voronov, Yu A.; Florentsev, V. V.

2016-10-01

A new optical carbon dioxide sensor based on the change in glow intensity of the Europium-III complex, caused by CO2 absorption to various pH-indicators (thymol blue, phenol red and cresol red) of carbon dioxide was developed, and its sensitive properties were studied.

Method of maintaining activity of hydrogen-sensing platinum electrode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harman, J. N., III

1968-01-01

Three-electrode hydrogen sensor containing a platinum electrode maintained in a highly catalytic state, operates with a minimal response time and maximal sensitivity to the hydrogen gas being sensed. Electronic control and readout circuitry reactivates the working electrode of the sensor to a state of maximal catalytic activity.

Electrochemical sensors applied to pollution monitoring: Measurement error and gas ratio bias - A volcano plume case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, T. J.; Saffell, J. R.; Oppenheimer, C.; Lurton, T.

2014-06-01

There is an increasing scientific interest in the use of miniature electrochemical sensors to detect and quantify atmospheric trace gases. This has led to the development of ‘Multi-Gas' systems applied to measurements of both volcanic gas emissions, and urban air pollution. However, such measurements are subject to uncertainties introduced by sensor response time, a critical issue that has received limited attention to date. Here, a detailed analysis of output from an electrochemical SO2 sensor and two H2S sensors (contrasting in their time responses and cross-sensitivities) demonstrates how instrument errors arise under the conditions of rapidly fluctuating (by dilution) gas abundances, leading to scatter and importantly bias in the reported gas ratios. In a case study at Miyakejima volcano (Japan), electrochemical sensors were deployed at both the crater-rim and downwind locations, thereby exposed to rapidly fluctuating and smoothly varying plume gas concentrations, respectively. Discrepancies in the H2S/SO2 gas mixing ratios derived from these measurements are attributed to the sensors' differing time responses to SO2 and H2S under fluctuating plume conditions, with errors magnified by the need to correct for SO2 interference in the H2S readings. Development of a sensor response model that reproduces sensor t90 behaviour (the time required to reach 90% of the final signal following a step change in gas abundance) during calibration enabled this measurement error to be simulated numerically. The sensor response times were characterised as SO2 sensor (t90 ~ 13 s), H2S sensor without interference (t90 ~ 11 s), and H2S sensor with interference (t90 ~ 20 s to H2S and ~ 32 s to SO2). We show that a method involving data integration between periods of episodic plume exposure identifiable in the sensor output yields a less biased H2S/SO2 ratio estimate than that derived from standard analysis approaches. For the Miyakejima crater-rim dataset this method yields highly correlated H2S and SO2 abundances (R2 > 0.99) and the improved crater-rim data analysis combined with downwind measurements yields H2S/SO2 = 0.11 ± 0.01. Our analysis has significant implications for the reliance that can be placed on ‘Multi-Gas'-derived gas ratios, whether for volcanological or other purposes, in the absence of consideration of the complexities of sensor response times.

30 CFR 7.503 - Application requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... following: (1) The operating range, type of sensor, gas or gases measured, and environmental limitations, including the cross-sensitivity to other gases, of each detector or device in the air-monitoring component... gas concentrations over a 96-hour period. (3) The procedures for monitoring and maintaining breathable...

30 CFR 7.503 - Application requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... following: (1) The operating range, type of sensor, gas or gases measured, and environmental limitations, including the cross-sensitivity to other gases, of each detector or device in the air-monitoring component... gas concentrations over a 96-hour period. (3) The procedures for monitoring and maintaining breathable...

Chemoresistive gas sensor

DOEpatents

Hirschfeld, T.B.

1985-09-30

A chemoresistive gas sensor is provided which has improved sensitivity. A layer of organic semiconductor is disposed between two electrodes which, in turn, are connected to a voltage source. High conductivity material is dispersed within the layer of organic semiconductor in the form of very small particles, or islands. The average interisland spacing is selected so that the predominant mode of current flow is by way of electron tunneling. Adsorption of gaseous contaminant onto the layer of organic semiconductor modulates the tunneling current in a quantitative manner.

Chemoresistive gas sensor

DOEpatents

Hirschfeld, Tomas B.

1987-01-01

A chemoresistive gas sensor is provided which has improved sensitivity. A layer of organic semiconductor is disposed between two electrodes which, in turn, are connected to a voltage source. High conductivity material is dispersed within the layer of organic semiconductor in the form of very small particles, or islands. The average interisland spacing is selected so that the predominant mode of current flow is by way of electron funneling. Adsorption of gaseous contaminant onto the layer of organic semiconductor modulates the tunneling current in a quantitative manner.

Chemoresistive gas sensor

DOEpatents

Hirschfeld, T.B.

1987-06-23

A chemoresistive gas sensor is provided which has improved sensitivity. A layer of organic semiconductor is disposed between two electrodes which, in turn, are connected to a voltage source. High conductivity material is dispersed within the layer of organic semiconductor in the form of very small particles, or islands. The average interisland spacing is selected so that the predominant mode of current flow is by way of electron funneling. Adsorption of gaseous contaminant onto the layer of organic semiconductor modulates the tunneling current in a quantitative manner. 2 figs.

Combining non selective gas sensors on a mobile robot for identification and mapping of multiple chemical compounds.

PubMed

Bennetts, Victor Hernandez; Schaffernicht, Erik; Pomareda, Victor; Lilienthal, Achim J; Marco, Santiago; Trincavelli, Marco

2014-09-17

In this paper, we address the task of gas distribution modeling in scenarios where multiple heterogeneous compounds are present. Gas distribution modeling is particularly useful in emission monitoring applications where spatial representations of the gaseous patches can be used to identify emission hot spots. In realistic environments, the presence of multiple chemicals is expected and therefore, gas discrimination has to be incorporated in the modeling process. The approach presented in this work addresses the task of gas distribution modeling by combining different non selective gas sensors. Gas discrimination is addressed with an open sampling system, composed by an array of metal oxide sensors and a probabilistic algorithm tailored to uncontrolled environments. For each of the identified compounds, the mapping algorithm generates a calibrated gas distribution model using the classification uncertainty and the concentration readings acquired with a photo ionization detector. The meta parameters of the proposed modeling algorithm are automatically learned from the data. The approach was validated with a gas sensitive robot patrolling outdoor and indoor scenarios, where two different chemicals were released simultaneously. The experimental results show that the generated multi compound maps can be used to accurately predict the location of emitting gas sources.

Evaluation of sensitivity and selectivity of piezoresistive cantilever-array sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshikawa, Genki; Lang, Hans-Peter; Staufer, Urs; Vettiger, Peter; Sakurai, Toshio; Gerber, Christoph

2008-03-01

Microfabricated cantilever-array sensors have attracted much attention in recent years due to their real-time detection of low concentration of molecules. Since the piezoresistive cantilever-array sensors do not require a bulky and expensive optical read-out system, they possess many advantages compared with optical read-out cantilever-array sensors. They can be miniaturized and integrated into a match-box sized device. In this study, we present the piezoresistive cantilever-array sensor system and evaluate its sensitivity and selectivity using various vapors of molecules, including alkane molecules with different chain length from 5 (n-pentane) to 12 (n-dodecane). Piezoresistive cantilevers were coated with different polymers (PVP, PAAM, PEI, and PVA) using an inkjet spotter. Each cantilever has a reference cantilever, constituting a Wheatstone-bridge. Each vapor was mixed with a constant nitrogen gas flow and introduced into the measurement chamber. According to the principle component analysis of data obtained, each molecule can be clearly distinguished from others. We also confirmed that this piezoresistive cantilever-array sensor system has sub-ppm sensitivity.

Carbon monoxide gas sensing using zinc oxide deposited by successive ionic layer adhesion and reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florido, E. A.; Dagaas, N. A. C.

2017-05-01

This study was aimed to determine the carbon monoxide (CO) gas sensing capability of zinc oxide (ZnO) film fabricated by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) on glass substrate. Films consisting of a mixture of flower-like clusters of ZnO nanorods and nanowires were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Current-voltage characterization of the samples showed an average resistivity of 13.0 Ω-m. Carbon monoxide gas was synthesized by mixing the required amount of formic acid and excess sulfuric acid to produce CO gas concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 parts per million (ppm) v/v with five trials for each concentration. Two sets of data were obtained. One set consisted of the voltage response of the single film sensor while the other set were obtained from the double film sensor. The voltage response for the single film sensor and the double film sensor showed an average sensitivity of 0.0038 volts per ppm and 0.0024 volts per ppm, respectively. The concentration the single film can detect with a 2V output is 526 ppm while the double film sensor can detect up to 833 ppm with a 2V output. This shows that using the double film sensor is advantageous compared to single film sensor, because of its higher concentration range due to the larger surface area for the gas to interact. Moreover, the measured average resistance for the single film sensor was 10 MΩ while for the double film sensor the average resistance was 5 MΩ.

Measuring Micro-Friction Torque in MEMS Gas Bearings

PubMed Central

Fang, Xudong; Liu, Huan

2016-01-01

An in situ measurement of micro-friction torque in MEMS gas bearings, which has been a challenging research topic for years, is realized by a system designed in this paper. In the system, a high accuracy micro-force sensor and an electronically-driven table are designed, fabricated and utilized. With appropriate installation of the sensor and bearings on the table, the engine rotor can be driven to rotate with the sensor using a silicon lever beam. One end of the beam is fixed to the shaft of the gas bearing, while the other end is free and in contact with the sensor probe tip. When the sensor begins to rotate with the table, the beam is pushed by the sensor probe to rotate in the same direction. For the beam, the friction torque from the gas bearing is balanced by the torque induced by pushing force from the sensor probe. Thus, the friction torque can be calculated as a product of the pushing force measured by the sensor and the lever arm, which is defined as the distance from the sensor probe tip to the centerline of the bearing. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of this system, with a sensitivity of 1.285 mV/μN·m in a range of 0 to 11.76 μN·m when the lever arm is 20 mm long. The measuring range can be modified by varying the length of the lever arm. Thus, this system has wide potential applications in measuring the micro-friction torque of gas bearings in rotating MEMS machines. PMID:27213377

Genetic Algorithm (GA)-Based Inclinometer Layout Optimization.

PubMed

Liang, Weijie; Zhang, Ping; Chen, Xianping; Cai, Miao; Yang, Daoguo

2015-04-17

This paper presents numerical simulation results of an airflow inclinometer with sensitivity studies and thermal optimization of the printed circuit board (PCB) layout for an airflow inclinometer based on a genetic algorithm (GA). Due to the working principle of the gas sensor, the changes of the ambient temperature may cause dramatic voltage drifts of sensors. Therefore, eliminating the influence of the external environment for the airflow is essential for the performance and reliability of an airflow inclinometer. In this paper, the mechanism of an airflow inclinometer and the influence of different ambient temperatures on the sensitivity of the inclinometer will be examined by the ANSYS-FLOTRAN CFD program. The results show that with changes of the ambient temperature on the sensing element, the sensitivity of the airflow inclinometer is inversely proportional to the ambient temperature and decreases when the ambient temperature increases. GA is used to optimize the PCB thermal layout of the inclinometer. The finite-element simulation method (ANSYS) is introduced to simulate and verify the results of our optimal thermal layout, and the results indicate that the optimal PCB layout greatly improves (by more than 50%) the sensitivity of the inclinometer. The study may be useful in the design of PCB layouts that are related to sensitivity improvement of gas sensors.

Genetic Algorithm (GA)-Based Inclinometer Layout Optimization

PubMed Central

Liang, Weijie; Zhang, Ping; Chen, Xianping; Cai, Miao; Yang, Daoguo

2015-01-01

This paper presents numerical simulation results of an airflow inclinometer with sensitivity studies and thermal optimization of the printed circuit board (PCB) layout for an airflow inclinometer based on a genetic algorithm (GA). Due to the working principle of the gas sensor, the changes of the ambient temperature may cause dramatic voltage drifts of sensors. Therefore, eliminating the influence of the external environment for the airflow is essential for the performance and reliability of an airflow inclinometer. In this paper, the mechanism of an airflow inclinometer and the influence of different ambient temperatures on the sensitivity of the inclinometer will be examined by the ANSYS-FLOTRAN CFD program. The results show that with changes of the ambient temperature on the sensing element, the sensitivity of the airflow inclinometer is inversely proportional to the ambient temperature and decreases when the ambient temperature increases. GA is used to optimize the PCB thermal layout of the inclinometer. The finite-element simulation method (ANSYS) is introduced to simulate and verify the results of our optimal thermal layout, and the results indicate that the optimal PCB layout greatly improves (by more than 50%) the sensitivity of the inclinometer. The study may be useful in the design of PCB layouts that are related to sensitivity improvement of gas sensors. PMID:25897500

TOPICAL REVIEW: GaN-based diodes and transistors for chemical, gas, biological and pressure sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearton, S. J.; Kang, B. S.; Kim, Suku; Ren, F.; Gila, B. P.; Abernathy, C. R.; Lin, Jenshan; Chu, S. N. G.

2004-07-01

There is renewed emphasis on development of robust solid-state sensors capable of uncooled operation in harsh environments. The sensors should be capable of detecting chemical, gas, biological or radiation releases as well as sending signals to central monitoring locations. We discuss the advances in use of GaN-based solid-state sensors for these applications. AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) show a strong dependence of source/drain current on the piezoelectric polarization-induced two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). Furthermore, spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization-induced surface and interface charges can be used to develop very sensitive but robust sensors to detect gases, polar liquids and mechanical pressure. AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures have been demonstrated to exhibit large changes in source-drain current upon exposing the gate region to various block co-polymer solutions. Pt-gated GaN Schottky diodes and Sc2O3/AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide semiconductor diodes also show large change in forward currents upon exposure to H2. Of particular interest is detection of ethylene (C2H4), which has strong double bonds and hence is difficult to dissociate at modest temperatures. Apart from combustion gas sensing, the AlGaN/GaN heterostructure devices can be used as sensitive detectors of pressure changes. In addition, large changes in source-drain current of the AlGaN/GaN HEMT sensors can be detected upon adsorption of biological species on the semiconductor surface. Finally, the nitrides provide an ideal platform for fabrication of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. The GaN-based devices thus appear promising for a wide range of chemical, biological, combustion gas, polar liquid, strain and high temperature pressure-sensing applications. In addition, the sensors are compatible with high bit-rate wireless communication systems that facilitate their use in remote arrays.

Hierarchical hollow microsphere and flower-like indium oxide: Controllable synthesis and application as H{sub 2}S cataluminescence sensing materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cai, Pingyang, E-mail: cpyxx@163.com; Bai, Wei, E-mail: weibaiscu@gmail.com; Zhang, Lichun, E-mail: lichun0203@yahoo.cn

Graphical abstract: Hierarchical hollow microsphere and flower-like In{sub 2}O{sub 3} were controllable fabricated through a novel and simple hydrothermal process, and the former showed superior cataluminescence sensing performance to H{sub 2}S. Highlights: ► In{sub 2}O{sub 3} hierarchical hollow sphere were prepared via a hydrothermal route. ► The growth process of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} hierarchical hollow sphere has been investigated. ► The sensor based on prepared In{sub 2}O{sub 3} shows good sensing performance to H{sub 2}S. -- Abstract: In the present work, In{sub 2}O{sub 3} hierarchical hollow microsphere and flower-like microstructure were achieved controllably by a hydrothermal process in the sodiummore » dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-N,N-dimethyl-formamide (DMF) system. XRD, SEM, HRTEM and N{sub 2} adsorption measurements were used to characterize the as-prepared indium oxide materials and the possible mechanism for the microstructures formation was briefly discussed. The cataluminescence gas sensor based on the as-prepared In{sub 2}O{sub 3} was utilized to detect H{sub 2}S concentrations in flowing air. Comparative gas sensing results revealed that the sensor based on hierarchical hollow microsphere exhibited much higher sensing sensitivity in detecting H{sub 2}S gas than the sensor based on flower-like microstructure. The present gas sensor had a fast response time of 5 s and a recovery time of less than 25 s, furthermore, the cataluminescence intensity vs. H{sub 2}S concentration was linear in range of 2–20 μg mL{sup −1} with a detection limit of 0.5 μg mL{sup −1}. The present highly sensitive, fast-responding, and low-cost In{sub 2}O{sub 3}-based gas sensor for H{sub 2}S would have many practical applications.« less

Least Squares Neural Network-Based Wireless E-Nose System Using an SnO₂ Sensor Array.

PubMed

Shahid, Areej; Choi, Jong-Hyeok; Rana, Abu Ul Hassan Sarwar; Kim, Hyun-Seok

2018-05-06

Over the last few decades, the development of the electronic nose (E-nose) for detection and quantification of dangerous and odorless gases, such as methane (CH₄) and carbon monoxide (CO), using an array of SnO₂ gas sensors has attracted considerable attention. This paper addresses sensor cross sensitivity by developing a classifier and estimator using an artificial neural network (ANN) and least squares regression (LSR), respectively. Initially, the ANN was implemented using a feedforward pattern recognition algorithm to learn the collective behavior of an array as the signature of a particular gas. In the second phase, the classified gas was quantified by minimizing the mean square error using LSR. The combined approach produced 98.7% recognition probability, with 95.5 and 94.4% estimated gas concentration accuracies for CH₄ and CO, respectively. The classifier and estimator parameters were deployed in a remote microcontroller for the actualization of a wireless E-nose system.

The Commercialization of the SiC Flame Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedison, Jeffrey B.

2002-03-01

The technical and scientific steps required to produce large quantities of SiC flame sensors is described. The technical challenges required to understand, fabricate, test and package SiC photodiodes in 1990 were numerous since SiC device know how was embryonic. A sense of urgency for a timely replacement of the Geiger Muller gas discharge tube soon entered the scene. New dual fuel GE Power Systems gas turbines, which were designed to lean burn either natural gas or oil for low NOx emissions required a much higher sensitivity sensor. Joint work between GE CRD and Cree Research sponsored by the GE Aircraft Engine Division developed the know how for the fabrication of high sensitivity, high yield, reliable SiC photodiodes. Yield issues were uncovered and overcome. The urgency for system insertion required that SiC diode and sensor circuitry development needed to be carried out simultaneously with power plant field tests of laboratory or prototype sensor assemblies. The sensor and reliability specifications were stringent since the sensors installed on power plant turbine combustor walls are subjected to high levels of vibration, elevated temperatures, and high pressures. Furthermore a fast recovery time was required to sense flame out in spite of the fact that the amplifier circuit needed have high gain and high dynamic range. SiC diode technical difficulties were encountered and overcome. The science of hydrocarbon flames will also be described together with the fortunate overlap of the strong OH emission band with the SiC photodiode sensitivity versus wavelength characteristic. The extremely low dark current (<1pA/cm^2) afforded by the wide band gap and the 3eV sensitivity cutoff at 400nm made if possible to produce low amplifier offsets, high sensitivity and high dynamic range along with immunity to black body radiation from combustor walls. Field tests at power plants that had experienced turbine tripping, whenever oil fuel and/or oil with steam injection for power augmentation, were extremely encouraging. This warrantee problem previously due to the low sensitivity of the Geiger Muller tube was solved using the much higher sensitivity SiC detector. This sensitivity increase is partially due to the fact that the SiC photodiode “sees” the strong OH emission band whereas the Geiger Muller tube can only respond to the shorter wavelength CO emission band. Other successful field tests were observed and acclaimed by power plant operators, which for the first time could track mode switching and power level (flame intensity) because of the high dynamic range (>5000:1). The demand for this product thereupon rose dramatically. This success, the first for SiC devices other than that of SiC blue LEDs, is leading GE to implement this technology in other application fields.

The effect of ultraviolet irradiation on the ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} based CO gas sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karaduman, Irmak; Barin, Özlem; Acar, Selim

2015-11-07

In this work, an effort has been made to fabricate ultrathin HfO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} sample by atomic layer deposition method for the fast detection of CO gas at room temperature. The effect of the operating temperature and the UV light on the gas sensing characteristics has been studied. We investigated the optimum operating temperature for the sample by sensing 25 ppm CO and CO{sub 2} gases from room temperature to 150 °C for 10 °C steps. The maximum response was obtained at 150 °C for both gases in the measurement temperature range. Also, the photoresponse measurements clearly show the effect of UV lightmore » on the sample. At room temperature, sensor showed superior response (14%) for 5 ppm CO gas. The response time of sensor is 6 s to 5 ppm CO gas concentration. The ultrathin HfO{sub 2} based sample shows acceptable gas sensitivity for 5 ppm CO gas at room temperature under UV light irradiation.« less

Biomarker sensing using nanostructured metal oxide sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalyanasundaram, Krithika

Resistive Chemical sensors are those gas sensitive materials, typically semiconducting metal oxides, that change their electrical properties in response to a change in the ambient. The key features of a chemosensor are sensitivity, selectivity, response time and sensor stability. The hypothesis of this work is that, since metal oxides are polymorphic compounds, the crystal structure of the specific polymorph determines the relative gas selectivity of the material; also that the morphology of the sensing element determines the gas sensitivity limit. This work focuses on the synthesis of nanostructured metal oxides for chemosensors used in selective 'biomarker' detection. Biomarkers are chemical compounds, products of human metabolism which act as specific disease markers. The biomarkers studied in this work include NO, isoprene, NH3, ethanol and acetone which can all be found in exhaled human breath and which allow the non-invasive detection of a range of diseases. Sensors based on three different metal oxides-MoO3, WO 3, and TiO2 were fabricated using sol-gel, electrospinning and spray pyrolysis techniques and tested both as single elements and in an array configuration (electronic nose). The effects of the processing method used, grain size and shape and crystal phase of the material produced, and temperature effects of postsynthesis processing and sensing have been evaluated. Structural characterization has been carried out using X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, while spectroscopic measurements using XPS, Raman and In-situ FTIR provide valuable information about the surface-analyte interactions. This work has shown that the use of monoclinic polymorph of WO3 yields a selective response to NO, while the other phase of the same oxide give a non-selective chemical response. The orthorhombic phase of MoO 3 exhibits specificity to NH3. An explanation for the variable sensing properties is given based on the gas interactions with the given polymorph involving adsorption/reaction processes. Another major finding of this work is that there was orders of magnitude increase in gas sensitivity when high aspect ratio nanowires as opposed to nanoparticles of the same diameter were used.

Nanostructured ZnO - its challenging properties and potential for device applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimova-Malinovska, D.

2017-01-01

Nanostructured ZnO possessing interesting structural and optical properties offers challenging opportunities for innovative applications. In this lecture the review of the optical and structural properties of ZnO nanostructured layers is presented. It is shown that they have a direct impact on the parameters of devices involving ZnO. An analysis of current trends in the photovoltaic (PV) field shows that improved light harvesting and efficiency of solar cells can be obtained by implementing nanostructured ZnO layers to process advanced solar cell structures. Because of amenability to doping, high chemical stability, sensitivity to different adsorbed gases, nontoxicity and low cost ZnO attracted much attention for application as gas sensors. The sensitivity of nano-grain ZnO gas elements is comparatively high because of the grain-size effect. Application of nanostructured ZnO for gas sensors and for increasing of light harvesting in solar cells is demonstrated.

Miniaturized Metal (Metal Alloy)/PdO(x)/SiC Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Gas Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W. (Inventor); Xu, Jennifer C. (Inventor); Lukco, Dorothy (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdO(x)). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600 C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sided sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.

Spray deposited gallium doped tin oxide thinfilm for acetone sensor application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preethi, M. S.; Bharath, S. P.; Bangera, Kasturi V.

2018-04-01

Undoped and gallium doped (1 at.%, 2 at.% and 3 at.%) tin oxide thin films were prepared using spray pyrolysis technique by optimising the deposition conditions such as precursor concentration, substrate temperature and spraying rate. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed formation of tetragonally structured polycrystalline films. The SEM micrographs of Ga doped films showed microstructures. The electrical resistivity of the doped films was found to be more than that of the undoped films. The Ga-doped tin oxide thin films were characterised for gas sensors. 1 at.% Ga doped thin films were found to be better acetone gas sensor, showed 68% sensitivity at 350°C temperature.

Unraveling fabrication and calibration of wearable gas monitor for use under free-living conditions.

PubMed

Yue Deng; Cheng Chen; Tsow, Francis; Xiaojun Xian; Forzani, Erica

2016-08-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are organic chemicals that have high vapor pressure at regular conditions. Some VOC could be dangerous to human health, therefore it is important to determine real-time indoor and outdoor personal exposures to VOC. To achieve this goal, our group has developed a wearable gas monitor with a complete sensor fabrication and calibration protocol for free-living conditions. Correction factors for calibrating the sensors, including sensitivity, aging effect, and temperature effect are implemented into a Quick Response Code (QR code), so that the pre-calibrated quartz tuning fork (QTF) sensor can be used with the wearable monitor under free-living conditions.

Synthesis, Fabrication and Characterization of ZnO-Based Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Process and H2 Gas Sensing Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, Anup; Roy, Subhashis; Sarkar, Subir Kumar

2018-03-01

In this paper, an attempt is made to deposit ZnO thin films using sol-gel process followed by dip-coating method on p-silicon (100) substrates for intended application as a hydrogen gas sensor owing to the low toxic nature and thermal stability of ZnO. The thin films are annealed under annealing temperatures of 350, 450 and 550 °C for 25 min. The crystalline quality of the fabricated thin films is then analyzed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope. The gas sensing performance analysis of ZnO thin films is demonstrated at different annealing temperatures and hydrogen gas concentrations ranging from 100 to 3000 ppm. Results obtained show that the sensitivity is significantly improved as annealing temperature increases with maximum sensitivity being achieved at 550 °C annealing temperature and operating temperature of 150 °C. Hence, the modified ZnO thin films can be applicable as H2 gas sensing device showing to the improved performance in comparison with unmodified thin-film sensor.

Sensitive hydrogen leak detector

DOEpatents

Myneni, G.R.

1999-08-03

A sensitive hydrogen leak detector system is described which uses passivation of a stainless steel vacuum chamber for low hydrogen outgassing, a high compression ratio vacuum system, a getter operating at 77.5 K and a residual gas analyzer as a quantitative hydrogen sensor. 1 fig.

Nanoassembled thin film gas sensors. III. Sensitive detection of amine odors using TiO2/poly(acrylic acid) ultrathin film quartz crystal microbalance sensors.

PubMed

Lee, Seung-Woo; Takahara, Naoki; Korposh, Sergiy; Yang, Do-Hyeon; Toko, Kiyoshi; Kunitake, Toyoki

2010-03-15

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gas sensors based on the alternate adsorption of TiO(2) and polyacrilic acid (PAA) were developed for the sensitive detection of amine odors. Individual TiO(2) gel layers could be regularly assembled with a thickness of approximately 0.3 nm by the gas-phase surface sol-gel process (GSSG). The thickness of the poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) layer is dependent on its molecular weight, showing different thicknesses of approximately 0.4 nm for PAA(25) (Mw 250,000) and 0.6-0.8 nm for PAA(400) (Mw 4,000,000). The QCM sensors showed a linear response to ammonia in the concentration range 0.3-15 ppm, depending on the deposition cycle of the alternate TiO(2)/PAA layer. The ammonia binding is based on the acid-base interaction to the free carboxylic acid groups of PAA and the limit of detection (LOD) of the 20-cycle TiO(2)/PAA(400) film was estimated to be 0.1 ppm when exposed to ammonia. The sensor response was very fast and stable in a wide relative humidity (rH) range of 30-70%, showing almost the same frequency changes at a given concentration of ammonia. Sensitivity to n-butylamine and ammonia was higher than to pyridine, which is owing to the difference of molecular weight and basicity of the amine analytes. The alternate TiO(2)/PAA(400) films have a highly effective ability to capture amine odors, and the ambient ammonia concentration of 15 ppm could be condensed up to approximately 20,000 ppm inside the films.

High-Sensitivity and Low-Power Flexible Schottky Hydrogen Sensor Based on Silicon Nanomembrane.

PubMed

Cho, Minkyu; Yun, Jeonghoon; Kwon, Donguk; Kim, Kyuyoung; Park, Inkyu

2018-04-18

High-performance and low-power flexible Schottky diode-based hydrogen sensor was developed. The sensor was fabricated by releasing Si nanomembrane (SiNM) and transferring onto a plastic substrate. After the transfer, palladium (Pd) and aluminum (Al) were selectively deposited as a sensing material and an electrode, respectively. The top-down fabrication process of flexible Pd/SiNM diode H 2 sensor is facile compared to other existing bottom-up fabricated flexible gas sensors while showing excellent H 2 sensitivity (Δ I/ I 0 > 700-0.5% H 2 concentrations) and fast response time (τ 10-90 = 22 s) at room temperature. In addition, selectivity, humidity, and mechanical tests verify that the sensor has excellent reliability and robustness under various environments. The operating power consumption of the sensor is only in the nanowatt range, which indicates its potential applications in low-power portable and wearable electronics.

Gas Selectivity Control in Co3O4 Sensor via Concurrent Tuning of Gas Reforming and Gas Filtering using Nanoscale Hetero-Overlayer of Catalytic Oxides.

PubMed

Jeong, Hyun-Mook; Jeong, Seong-Yong; Kim, Jae-Hyeok; Kim, Bo-Young; Kim, Jun-Sik; Abdel-Hady, Faissal; Wazzan, Abdulaziz A; Al-Turaif, Hamad Ali; Jang, Ho Won; Lee, Jong-Heun

2017-11-29

Co 3 O 4 sensors with a nanoscale TiO 2 or SnO 2 catalytic overlayer were prepared by screen-printing of Co 3 O 4 yolk-shell spheres and subsequent e-beam evaporation of TiO 2 and SnO 2 . The Co 3 O 4 sensors with 5 nm thick TiO 2 and SnO 2 overlayers showed high responses (resistance ratios) to 5 ppm xylene (14.5 and 28.8) and toluene (11.7 and 16.2) at 250 °C with negligible responses to interference gases such as ethanol, HCHO, CO, and benzene. In contrast, the pure Co 3 O 4 sensor did not show remarkable selectivity toward any specific gas. The response and selectivity to methylbenzenes and ethanol could be systematically controlled by selecting the catalytic overlayer material, varying the overlayer thickness, and tuning the sensing temperature. The significant enhancement of the selectivity for xylene and toluene was attributed to the reforming of less reactive methylbenzenes into more reactive and smaller species and oxidative filtering of other interference gases, including ubiquitous ethanol. The concurrent control of the gas reforming and oxidative filtering processes using a nanoscale overlayer of catalytic oxides provides a new, general, and powerful tool for designing highly selective and sensitive oxide semiconductor gas sensors.

Amorphization of cobalt monoxide nanocrystals and related explosive gas sensing applications.

PubMed

Li, L H; Xiao, J; Yang, G W

2015-10-16

Amorphous nanomaterials have attracted attention due to their excellent performances, highly comparable to their crystalline counterparts. Sensor materials with amorphous phases are usually evaluated to be unsuitable for sensors because of poor performance. As a matter of fact, amorphous nanomaterials have rather unique sensor behaviors. Here, we report the amorphousization of cobalt monoxide (CoO) nanocrystals driven by a unique process involved in laser ablation in liquid (LAL). We also established that a fast and nonequilibrium process created by LAL results in the amorphousization of nanocrystals. The as-prepared amorphous CoO (a-CoO) nanoflakes possess a high aspect ratio, which showed good sensing of explosive gases. The fabricated gas sensor can detect CO and H2 at levels as low as 5 and 10 ppm, respectively, at 100 °C. The performance characteristics of this sensor, including high sensitivity, low working temperature, and low detection limit, are superior to those of sensors made with crystalline phase oxides. Meanwhile, a temperature-dependent p-n transition was observed in the sensor's response to CO, suggesting that the sensing properties can be tailored by changing the carrier type, thus tuning the selectivity of sensors to different gases. These findings demonstrate the potential applications of amorphous nanomaterials as gas sensor components.

Response Characteristics of a Stable Mixed Potential Ammonia Sensor in Simulated Diesel Exhaust

DOE PAGES

Ramaiyan, Kannan P.; Pihl, Josh A.; Kreller, Cortney R.; ...

2017-07-15

A mixed potential sensor using Au and Pt dense wire electrodes embedded between tape-casted layers of 8 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was tested for application toward NH 3, NO, NO 2, C 3H 6 and C 3H 8. In single-gas testing, the sensor exhibited the highest response toward NH 3, while still exhibiting reasonably high sensitivity toward other interferent gases. We tested the sensor in a high-flow reactor at the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC) in order to simulate exhaust gas constituents and flow rates produced by lean-burn vehicles powered by Compression-Ignition Direct-Injection (CIDI), diesel engines. The sensor wasmore » characterized at 525 and 625°C for NH 3, CO, C 3H 6, C 3H 8, and NO x in a base gas composition of 10% O 2, 5% H 2O, and 5% CO 2 flowing at 15 slpm. The sensor exhibited fast response time equal to the response time of the system's switching valve (T90<0.6s). Furthermore, in simulations of overdosing a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, the sensor was able to selectively respond to 20ppm injections of NH 3 slip despite the presence of the interferent gas species at combined concentrations ten times higher than that of the NH 3. The laboratory sensor construct was transitioned to a pre-commercial, automotive stick sensor configuration that was demonstrated to retain the advantageous characteristics of the tape-cast device.« less

Response Characteristics of a Stable Mixed Potential Ammonia Sensor in Simulated Diesel Exhaust

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramaiyan, Kannan P.; Pihl, Josh A.; Kreller, Cortney R.

A mixed potential sensor using Au and Pt dense wire electrodes embedded between tape-casted layers of 8 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was tested for application toward NH 3, NO, NO 2, C 3H 6 and C 3H 8. In single-gas testing, the sensor exhibited the highest response toward NH 3, while still exhibiting reasonably high sensitivity toward other interferent gases. We tested the sensor in a high-flow reactor at the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC) in order to simulate exhaust gas constituents and flow rates produced by lean-burn vehicles powered by Compression-Ignition Direct-Injection (CIDI), diesel engines. The sensor wasmore » characterized at 525 and 625°C for NH 3, CO, C 3H 6, C 3H 8, and NO x in a base gas composition of 10% O 2, 5% H 2O, and 5% CO 2 flowing at 15 slpm. The sensor exhibited fast response time equal to the response time of the system's switching valve (T90<0.6s). Furthermore, in simulations of overdosing a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, the sensor was able to selectively respond to 20ppm injections of NH 3 slip despite the presence of the interferent gas species at combined concentrations ten times higher than that of the NH 3. The laboratory sensor construct was transitioned to a pre-commercial, automotive stick sensor configuration that was demonstrated to retain the advantageous characteristics of the tape-cast device.« less

Mm-Wave Spectroscopic Sensors, Catalogs, and Uncatalogued Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medvedev, Ivan; Neese, Christopher F.; De Lucia, Frank C.

2014-06-01

Analytical chemical sensing based on high resolution rotational molecular spectra has been recognized as a viable technique for decades. We recently demonstrated a compact implementation of such a sensor. Future generations of these sensors will rely on automated algorithms for quantification of chemical dilutions based on their spectral libraries, as well as identification of spectral features not present in spectral catalogs. Here we present an algorithm aimed at detection of unidentified lines in complex molecular species based on spectroscopic libraries developed in our previous projects. We will discuss the approaches suitable for data mining in feature-rich rotational molecular spectra. Neese, C.F., I.R. Medvedev, G.M. Plummer, A.J. Frank, C.D. Ball, and F.C. De Lucia, "A Compact Submillimeter/Terahertz Gas Sensor with Efficient Gas Collection, Preconcentration, and ppt Sensitivity." Sensors Journal, IEEE, 2012. 12(8): p. 2565-2574

Gas Sensors Based on Tin Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized from a Mini-Arc Plasma Source

DOE PAGES

Lu, Ganhua; Huebner, Kyle L.; Ocola, Leonidas E.; ...

2006-01-01

Minimore » aturized gas sensors or electronic noses to rapidly detect and differentiate trace amount of chemical agents are extremely attractive. In this paper, we report on the fabrication and characterization of a functional tin oxide nanoparticle gas sensor. Tin oxide nanoparticles are first synthesized using a convenient and low-cost mini-arc plasma source. The nanoparticle size distribution is measured online using a scanning electrical mobility spectrometer (SEMS). The product nanoparticles are analyzed ex-situ by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) for morphology and defects, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy for elemental composition, electron diffraction for crystal structure, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for surface composition. Nonagglomerated rutile tin oxide ( SnO 2 ) nanoparticles as small as a few nm have been produced. Larger particles bear a core-shell structure with a metallic core and an oxide shell. The nanoparticles are then assembled onto an e-beam lithographically patterned interdigitated electrode using electrostatic force to fabricate the gas sensor. The nanoparticle sensor exhibits a fast response and a good sensitivity when exposed to 100 ppm ethanol vapor in air.« less

Preparation and characterization of polyaniline-cadmium sulfide nanocomposite for gas sensor application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Jawad, Selma M. H.; Rafic, Sewench N.; Muhsen, Mustafa M.

2017-09-01

Polyaniline (PANI) was prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline monomers as emeraldine salt form. By the same method, polyaniline-cadmium sulfide nanocomposites were synthesized in the presence of different percentages (10-50 wt.%) of cadmium sulfide (CdS) which was prepared by using sol-gel method. The optical band gap was decrease with increasing of CdS concentration, that is obtained from UV-VIS measurements. From SEM and AFM, there is uniform distribution for cadmium sulfide nanoparticles in the PANI matrix. The electrical measurements of nanocomposites exhibit the effect of crystallite size and the high resistivity of CdS on the resistivity of nanocomposites. Emeraldine salt PANI, CdS and PANI-CdS nanocomposites were investigated as gas sensors. From this investigation, the sensitivity of PANI-CdS for NO2 gas increase with the increasing of operation temperature and the optimum sensitivity was obtained at 200∘C. The sensitivity of nanocomposites at best temperature (200∘C) was increased and faster response time with the increasing of CdS contents.

Electronic and Interfacial Properties of PD/6H-SiC Schottky Diode Gas Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Liang-Yu; Hunter, Gary W.; Neudeck, Philip G.; Bansal, Gaurav; Petit, Jeremy B.; Knight, Dak; Liu, Chung-Chiun; Wu, Qinghai

1996-01-01

Pd/SiC Schottky diodes detect hydrogen and hydrocarbons with high sensitivity. Variation of the diode temperature from 100 C to 200 C shows that the diode sensitivity to propylene is temperature dependent. Long-term heat treating at 425 C up to 140 hours is carried out to determine the effect of extended heat treating on the diode properties and gas sensitivity. The heat treating significantly affects the diode's capacitive characteristics, but the diode's current carrying characteristics are much more stable with a large response to hydrogen. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Spectrometry studies of the Pd surface after the heating show cluster formation and background regions with grain structure observed in both regions. The Pd and Si concentrations vary between grains. Auger Electron Spectroscopy depth profiles revealed that the heat treating promoted interdiffusion and reaction between the Pd and SiC dw broadened the interface region. This work shows that Pd/SiC Schottky diodes have significant potential as high temperature gas sensors, but stabilization of the structure is necessary to insure their repeatability in long-term, high temperature applications.

Fabry-Perot interferometer fiber tip sensor based on a glass microsphere glued at the etched end of multimode fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Weiping P.; Wang, Dongning N.; Xu, Ben; Wang, Zhaokun K.; Zhao, Chun-Liu

2017-05-01

We demonstrate an optical Fabry-Perot interferometer fiber tip sensor based on a glass microsphere glued at the etched end of a multimode fiber. The fiber device is miniature and robust, with a convenient reflection mode of operation, a high temperature sensitivity of 202.6 pm/°C within the range from 5°C to 90°C, a good refractive index sensitivity of ˜119 nm/RIU within the range from 1.331 to 1.38, and a gas pressure sensitivity of 0.19 dB/MPa.

Enabling chip-scale trace gas sensing systems with silicon photonics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Green, William

Tunable laser trace-gas spectroscopy has been effectively used in both environmental and medical applications, for its sensitivity and specificity. We’ll describe how contemporary silicon photonics manufacturing and assembly are leveraged for a cost-effective miniaturized spectroscopic sensor platform, and outline uses in fugitive methane emissions monitoring.

Hollow-core fiber sensing technique for pipeline leak detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Challener, W. A.; Kasten, Matthias A.; Karp, Jason; Choudhury, Niloy

2018-02-01

Recently there has been increased interest on the part of federal and state regulators to detect and quantify emissions of methane, an important greenhouse gas, from various parts of the oil and gas infrastructure including well pads and pipelines. Pressure and/or flow anomalies are typically used to detect leaks along natural gas pipelines, but are generally very insensitive and subject to false alarms. We have developed a system to detect and localize methane leaks along gas pipelines that is an order of magnitude more sensitive by combining tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLAS) with conventional sensor tube technology. This technique can potentially localize leaks along pipelines up to 100 km lengths with an accuracy of +/-50 m or less. A sensor tube buried along the pipeline with a gas-permeable membrane collects leaking gas during a soak period. The leak plume within the tube is then carried to the nearest sensor node along the tube in a purge cycle. The time-to-detection is used to determine leak location. Multiple sensor nodes are situated along the pipeline to minimize the time to detection, and each node is composed of a short segment of hollow core fiber (HCF) into which leaking gas is transported quickly through a small pressure differential. The HCF sensing node is spliced to standard telecom solid core fiber which transports the laser light for spectroscopy to a remote interrogator. The interrogator is multiplexed across the sensor nodes to minimize equipment cost and complexity.

A ppb level sensitive sensor for atmospheric methane detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Jinbao; Zhu, Feng; Zhang, Sasa; Kolomenskii, Alexandre; Schuessler, Hans

2017-11-01

A high sensitivity sensor, combining a multipass cell and wavelength modulation spectroscopy in the near infrared spectral region was designed and implemented for trace gas detection. The effective length of the multipass cell was about 290 meters. The developed spectroscopic technique demonstrates an improved sensitivity of methane in ambient air and a relatively short detection time compared to previously reported sensors. Home-built electronics and software were employed for diode laser frequency modulation, signal lock-in detection and processing. A dual beam scheme and a balanced photo-detector were implemented to suppress the intensity modulation and noise for better detection sensitivity. The performance of the sensor was evaluated in a series of measurements ranging from three hours to two days. The average methane concentration measured in ambient air was 2.01 ppm with a relative error of ± 2.5%. With Allan deviation analysis, it was found that the methane detection limit of 1.2 ppb was achieved in 650 s. The developed sensor is compact and portable, and thus it is well suited for field measurements of methane and other trace gases.

Response characterization of a fiber optic sensor array with dye-coated planar waveguide for detection of volatile organic compounds.

PubMed

Lee, Jae-Sung; Yoon, Na-Rae; Kang, Byoung-Ho; Lee, Sang-Won; Gopalan, Sai-Anand; Jeong, Hyun-Min; Lee, Seung-Ha; Kwon, Dae-Hyuk; Kang, Shin-Won

2014-07-01

We have developed a multi-array side-polished optical-fiber gas sensor for the detection of volatile organic compound (VOC) gases. The side-polished optical-fiber coupled with a polymer planar waveguide (PWG) provides high sensitivity to alterations in refractive index. The PWG was fabricated by coating a solvatochromic dye with poly(vinylpyrrolidone). To confirm the effectiveness of the sensor, five different sensing membranes were fabricated by coating the side-polished optical-fiber using the solvatochromic dyes Reinhardt's dye, Nile red, 4-aminophthalimide, 4-amino-N-methylphthalimide, and 4-(dimethylamino)cinnamaldehyde, which have different polarities that cause changes in the effective refractive index of the sensing membrane owing to evanescent field coupling. The fabricated gas detection system was tested with five types of VOC gases, namely acetic acid, benzene, dimethylamine, ethanol, and toluene at concentrations of 1, 2,…,10 ppb. Second-regression and principal component analyses showed that the response properties of the proposed VOC gas sensor were linearly shifted bathochromically, and each gas showed different response characteristics.

Metal Oxide Semi-Conductor Gas Sensors in Environmental Monitoring

PubMed Central

Fine, George F.; Cavanagh, Leon M.; Afonja, Ayo; Binions, Russell

2010-01-01

Metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors are utilised in a variety of different roles and industries. They are relatively inexpensive compared to other sensing technologies, robust, lightweight, long lasting and benefit from high material sensitivity and quick response times. They have been used extensively to measure and monitor trace amounts of environmentally important gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. In this review the nature of the gas response and how it is fundamentally linked to surface structure is explored. Synthetic routes to metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors are also discussed and related to their affect on surface structure. An overview of important contributions and recent advances are discussed for the use of metal oxide semiconductor sensors for the detection of a variety of gases—CO, NOx, NH3 and the particularly challenging case of CO2. Finally a description of recent advances in work completed at University College London is presented including the use of selective zeolites layers, new perovskite type materials and an innovative chemical vapour deposition approach to film deposition. PMID:22219672

SnO2 quantum dots decorated on RGO: a superior sensitive, selective and reproducible performance for a H2 and LPG sensor.

PubMed

Mishra, R K; Upadhyay, S B; Kushwaha, Ajay; Kim, Tae-Hyung; Murali, G; Verma, Ranjana; Srivastava, Manish; Singh, Jay; Sahay, P P; Lee, Seung Hee

2015-07-28

We report the H2 and LPG gas sensing behavior of RGO/SnO2 QDs synthesized by a surfactant assisted hydrothermal method. The RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor shows a high response of ∼89.3% to H2 and ∼92.4% to LPG for 500 ppm test gas concentration at operating temperatures of 200 °C and 250 °C, respectively. Further, the RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor shows good selectivity for H2 and LPG in the presence of other interfering gases such as ammonia, chloroform, toluene, benzene, acetone, n-butylacetate, acetic acid and formic acid. We observed that the gas response to H2 is 29.8 times higher than that to acetic acid whereas the gas response to LPG is 17.8 times higher than that to formic acid. Long-term analyses have also been performed to demonstrate the reproducible nature of the RGO/SnO2 QD based sensor over passing time which shows excellent reproducibility.

A high-response ethanol gas sensor based on one-dimensional TiO2/V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuan; Zhou, Yun; Meng, Chuanmin; Gao, Zhao; Cao, Xiuxia; Li, Xuhai; Xu, Liang; Zhu, Wenjun; Peng, Xusheng; Zhang, Botao; Lin, Yifeng; Liu, Lixin

2016-10-01

Hierarchical nanostructures with much increased surface-to-volume ratio have been of significant interest for prototypical gas sensors. Herein we report a novel resistive gas sensor based on TiO2/V2O5 branched nanoheterostructures fabricated by a facile one-step synthetic process, in which well-matched energy levels induced by the formation of effective heterojunctions between TiO2 and V2O5, a large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and complete electron depletion for the V2O5 nanobranches induced by the branched-nanofiber structures are all beneficial to the change of resistance upon ethanol exposure. As a result, the ethanol sensing performance of this device shows a lower operating temperature, faster response/recovery behavior, better selectivity and about seven times higher sensitivity compared with pure TiO2 nanofibers. This study not only confirms the gas sensing mechanism for performing enhancement of branched nanoheterostructures, but also proposes a rational approach to the design of nanostructure-based chemical sensors with desirable performance.

Robust high temperature composite and CO sensor made from such composite

DOEpatents

Dutta, Prabir K.; Ramasamy, Ramamoorthy; Li, Xiaogan; Akbar, Sheikh A.

2010-04-13

Described herein is a composite exhibiting a change in electrical resistance proportional to the concentration of a reducing gas present in a gas mixture, detector and sensor devices comprising the composite, a method for making the composite and for making devices comprising the composite, and a process for detecting and measuring a reducing gas in an atmosphere. In particular, the reducing gas may be carbon monoxide and the composite may comprise rutile-phase TiO₂ particles and platinum nanoclusters. The composite, upon exposure to a gas mixture containing CO in concentrations of up to 10,000 ppm, exhibits an electrical resistance proportional to the concentration of the CO present. The composite is useful for making sensitive, low drift, fast recovering detectors and sensors, and for measuring CO concentrations in a gas mixture present at levels from sub-ppm up to 10,000 ppm. The composites, and devices made from the composites, are stable and operable in a temperature range of from about 450.degree. C. to about 700.degree. C., such as may be found in a combustion chamber.

Carbon Nanotube-Silicon Nanowire Heterojunction Solar Cells with Gas-Dependent Photovoltaic Performances and Their Application in Self-Powered NO2 Detecting.

PubMed

Jia, Yi; Zhang, Zexia; Xiao, Lin; Lv, Ruitao

2016-12-01

A multifunctional device combining photovoltaic conversion and toxic gas sensitivity is reported. In this device, carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes are used to cover onto silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays to form heterojunction. The porous structure and large specific surface area in the heterojunction structure are both benefits for gas adsorption. In virtue of these merits, gas doping is a feasible method to improve cell's performance and the device can also work as a self-powered gas sensor beyond a solar cell. It shows a significant improvement in cell efficiency (more than 200 times) after NO2 molecules doping (device working as a solar cell) and a fast, reversible response property for NO2 detection (device working as a gas sensor). Such multifunctional CNT-SiNW structure can be expected to open a new avenue for developing self-powered, efficient toxic gas-sensing devices in the future.

Pd/Ag coated fiber Bragg grating sensor for hydrogen monitoring in power transformers.

PubMed

Ma, G M; Jiang, J; Li, C R; Song, H T; Luo, Y T; Wang, H B

2015-04-01

Compared with conventional DGA (dissolved gas analysis) method for on-line monitoring of power transformers, FBG (fiber Bragg grating) hydrogen sensor represents marked advantages over immunity to electromagnetic field, time-saving, and convenience to defect location. Thus, a novel FBG hydrogen sensor based on Pd/Ag (Palladium/Silver) along with polyimide composite film to measure dissolved hydrogen concentration in large power transformers is proposed in this article. With the help of Pd/Ag composite coating, the enhanced performance on mechanical strength and sensitivity is demonstrated, moreover, the response time and sensitivity influenced by oil temperature are solved by correction lines. Sensitivity measurement and temperature calibration of the specific hydrogen sensor have been done respectively in the lab. And experiment results show a high sensitivity of 0.055 pm/(μl/l) with instant response time about 0.4 h under the typical operating temperature of power transformers, which proves a potential utilization inside power transformers to monitor the health status by detecting the dissolved hydrogen concentration.

Electronic properties of NH{sub 4}-adsorbed graphene nanoribbon as a promising candidate for a gas sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harada, Naoki, E-mail: harada.naoki@jp.fujitsu.com; Sato, Shintaro

2016-05-15

The electronic properties of NH{sub 4}-adsorbed N = 7 armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGNRs) were theoretically investigated using self-consistent atomistic simulations to explore the feasibility of AGNRs as a gas sensing material. Whereas a pristine AGNR has a finite band gap and is an intrinsic semiconductor, an NH{sub 4}-adsorbed AGNR exhibits heavily doped n-type properties similar to a graphene sheet with the molecules adsorbed. The electric characteristics of a back-gated AGNR gas sensor were also simulated and the drain current changed exponentially with increasing number of adsorbed molecules. We may conclude that an AGNR is promising as a highly sensitive gas-sensingmore » material with large outputs.« less

The Zn12O12 cluster-assembled nanowires as a highly sensitive and selective gas sensor for NO and NO2.

PubMed

Yong, Yongliang; Su, Xiangying; Zhou, Qingxiao; Kuang, Yanmin; Li, Xiaohong

2017-12-13

Motivated by the recent realization of cluster-assembled nanomaterials as gas sensors, first-principles calculations are carried out to explore the stability and electronic properties of Zn 12 O 12 cluster-assembled nanowires and the adsorption behaviors of environmental gases on the Zn 12 O 12 -based nanowires, including CO, NO, NO 2 , SO 2 , NH 3 , CH 4 , CO 2 , O 2 and H 2 . Our results indicate that the ultrathin Zn 12 O 12 cluster-assembled nanowires are particularly thermodynamic stable at room temperature. The CO, NO, NO 2 , SO 2 , and NH 3 molecules are all chemisorbed on the Zn 12 O 12 -based nanowires with reasonable adsorption energies, but CH 4 , CO 2 , O 2 and H 2 molecules are only physically adsorbed on the nanowire. The electronic properties of the Zn 12 O 12 -based nanowire present dramatic changes after the adsorption of the NO and NO 2 molecules, especially their electric conductivity and magnetic properties, however, the other molecules adsorption hardly change the electric conductivity of the nanowire. Meanwhile, the recovery time of the nanowire sensor at T = 300 K is estimated at 1.5 μs and 16.7 μs for NO and NO 2 molecules, respectively. Furthermore, the sensitivities of NO and NO 2 are much larger than that of the other molecules. Our results thus conclude that the Zn 12 O 12 -based nanowire is a potential candidate for gas sensors with highly sensitivity for NO and NO 2 .

Gravimetric chemical sensors based on silica-based mesoporous organic-inorganic hybrids.

PubMed

Xu, Jiaqiang; Zheng, Qi; Zhu, Yongheng; Lou, Huihui; Xiang, Qun; Cheng, Zhixuan

2014-09-01

Silica-based mesoporous organic-inorganic hybrid material modified quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors have been examined for their ability to achieve highly sensitive and selective detection. Mesoporous silica SBA-15 serves as an inorganic host with large specific surface area, facilitating gas adsorption, and thus leads to highly sensitive response; while the presence of organic functional groups contributes to the greatly improved specific sensing property. In this work, we summarize our efforts in the rational design and synthesis of novel sensing materials for the detection of hazardous substances, including simulant nerve agent, organic vapor, and heavy metal ion, and develop high-performance QCM-based chemical sensors.

Quantum cascade laser-based sensor system for nitric oxide detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tittel, Frank K.; Allred, James J.; Cao, Yingchun; Sanchez, Nancy P.; Ren, Wei; Jiang, Wenzhe; Jiang, Dongfang; Griffin, Robert J.

2015-01-01

Sensitive detection of nitric oxide (NO) at ppbv concentration levels has an important impact in diverse fields of applications including environmental monitoring, industrial process control and medical diagnostics. For example, NO can be used as a biomarker of asthma and inflammatory lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Trace gas sensor systems capable of high sensitivity require the targeting of strong rotational-vibrational bands in the mid-IR spectral range. These bands are accessible using state-of-the-art high heat load (HHL) packaged, continuous wave (CW), distributed feedback (DFB) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) permits the design of fast, sensitive, selective, and compact sensor systems. A QEPAS sensor was developed employing a room-temperature CW DFB-QCL emitting at 5.26 μm with an optical excitation power of 60 mW. High sensitivity is achieved by targeting a NO absorption line at 1900.08 cm-1 free of interference by H2O and CO2. The minimum detection limit of the sensor is 7.5 and 1 ppbv of NO with 1and 100 second averaging time respectively . The sensitivity of the sensor system is sufficient for detecting NO in exhaled human breath, with typical concentration levels ranging from 24.0 ppbv to 54.0 ppbv.

Synthesis and Gas Sensing Properties of Single La-Doped SnO2 Nanobelts

PubMed Central

Wu, Yuemei; Zhang, Heng; Liu, Yingkai; Chen, Weiwu; Ma, Jiang; Li, Shuanghui; Qin, Zhaojun

2015-01-01

Single crystal SnO2 nanobelts (SnO2 NBs) and La-SnO2 nanobelts (La-SnO2 NBs) were synthesized by thermal evaporation. Both a single SnO2 NB sensor and a single La-SnO2 NB sensor were developed and their sensing properties were investigated. It is found that the single La-SnO2 NB sensor had a high sensitivity of 8.76 to ethanediol at a concentration of 100 ppm at 230 °C, which is the highest sensitivity of a single SnO2 NB to ethanediol among three kinds of volatile organic (VOC) liquids studied, including ethanediol, ethanol, and acetone. The La-SnO2 NBs sensor also exhibits a high sensitivity, good selectivity and long-term stability with prompt response time to ethanediol. The mechanism behind the enhanced sensing performance of La-doped SnO2 nanobelts is discussed. PMID:26087374

Determining Methane Leak Locations and Rates with a Wireless Network Composed of Low-Cost, Printed Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, C. J.; Kim, B.; Zhang, Y.; Ng, T. N.; Beck, V.; Ganguli, A.; Saha, B.; Daniel, G.; Lee, J.; Whiting, G.; Meyyappan, M.; Schwartz, D. E.

2015-12-01

We will present our progress on the development of a wireless sensor network that will determine the source and rate of detected methane leaks. The targeted leak detection threshold is 2 g/min with a rate estimation error of 20% and localization error of 1 m within an outdoor area of 100 m2. The network itself is composed of low-cost, high-performance sensor nodes based on printed nanomaterials with expected sensitivity below 1 ppmv methane. High sensitivity to methane is achieved by modifying high surface-area-to-volume-ratio single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with materials that adsorb methane molecules. Because the modified SWNTs are not perfectly selective to methane, the sensor nodes contain arrays of variously-modified SWNTs to build diversity of response towards gases with adsorption affinity. Methane selectivity is achieved through advanced pattern-matching algorithms of the array's ensemble response. The system is low power and designed to operate for a year on a single small battery. The SWNT sensing elements consume only microwatts. The largest power consumer is the wireless communication, which provides robust, real-time measurement data. Methane leak localization and rate estimation will be performed by machine-learning algorithms built with the aid of computational fluid dynamics simulations of gas plume formation. This sensor system can be broadly applied at gas wells, distribution systems, refineries, and other downstream facilities. It also can be utilized for industrial and residential safety applications, and adapted to other gases and gas combinations.

Metal-Organic Frameworks-Derived Hierarchical Co3O4 Structures as Efficient Sensing Materials for Acetone Detection.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Zhou, Tingting; Wang, Lili; Zhang, Tong

2018-03-21

Highly sensitive and stable gas sensors have attracted much attention because they are the key to innovations in the fields of environment, health, energy savings and security, etc. Sensing materials, which influence the practical sensing performance, are the crucial parts for gas sensors. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered as alluring sensing materials for gas sensors because of the possession of high specific surface area, unique morphology, abundant metal sites, and functional linkers. Herein, four kinds of porous hierarchical Co 3 O 4 structures have been selectively controlled by optimizing the thermal decomposition (temperature, rate, and atmosphere) using ZIF-67 as precursor that was obtained from coprecipitation method with the co-assistance of cobalt salt and 2-methylimidazole in the solution of methanol. These hierarchical Co 3 O 4 structures, with controllable cross-linked channels, meso-/micropores, and adjustable surface area, are efficient catalytic materials for gas sensing. Benefits from structural advantages, core-shell, and porous core-shell Co 3 O 4 exhibit enhanced sensing performance compared to those of porous popcorn and nanoparticle Co 3 O 4 to acetone gas. These novel MOF-templated Co 3 O 4 hierarchical structures are so fantastic that they can be expected to be efficient sensing materials for development of low-temperature operating gas sensors.

Gas Sensor Based on 3-D WO3 Inverse Opal: Design and Applications

PubMed Central

Xing, Ruiqing; Du, Yang; Zhao, Xiaonan; Zhang, Xiu

2017-01-01

A three-dimensional inverse opal (3DIO) WO3 architecture has been synthesized via a simple sacrificial template method. Morphology features of the 3DIO were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and its structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The shrinking ratio of the PMMA spheres was ~28.2% through measuring the distribution of the PMMA spheres and 3DIO WO3 center-to-center distance between the spheres and macropores, respectively. Beyond that, the 3DIO gas sensing properties were investigated systematically and the sensing mechanism of 3DIO WO3 was proposed. The results indicated that the response of the 3DIO sensor possessed excellent sensitivity to acetone gas, especially at trace levels. The 3DIO gas sensor response was ~7 to 5 ppm of acetone and could detect acetone low to 0.2 ppm effectively, which was in close proximity to the theoretical low detection limit of 0.14 ppm when Ra/Rg ≥ 1.2 was used as the criterion for reliable gas sensing. All in all, the obvious satisfaction of the gas-sensing properties was ascribed to the structure of the 3DIO, and the sensor could be a promising novel device in the future. PMID:28353672

Miniaturized metal (metal alloy)/ PdO.sub.x/SiC hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W. (Inventor); Xu, Jennifer C. (Inventor); Lukco, Dorothy (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdO.sub.x ). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600.degree. C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sized sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.

Miniaturized metal (metal alloy)/ PdO.sub.x/SiC hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Jennifer C. (Inventor); Hunter, Gary W. (Inventor); Lukco, Dorothy (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdO.sub.x). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600.degree. C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sized sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.

Fluorometric biosniffer (biochemical gas sensor) for breath acetone as a volatile indicator of lipid metabolism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitsubayashi, Kohji; Chien, Po-Jen; Ye, Ming; Suzuki, Takuma; Toma, Koji; Arakawa, Takahiro

2016-11-01

A fluorometric acetone biosniffer (biochemical gas sensor) for assessment of lipid metabolism utilizing reverse reaction of secondary alcohol dehydrogenase was constructed and evaluated. The biosniffer showed highly sensitivity and selectivity for continuous monitoring of gaseous acetone. The measurement of breath acetone concentration during fasting and aerobic exercise were also investigated. The acetone biosniffer provides a novel analytical tool for noninvasive evaluation of human lipid metabolism and it is also expected to use for the clinical and physiological applications such as monitoring the progression of diabetes.

Gas Composition Sensing Using Carbon Nanotube Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Jing; Meyyappan, Meyya

2012-01-01

This innovation is a lightweight, small sensor for inert gases that consumes a relatively small amount of power and provides measurements that are as accurate as conventional approaches. The sensing approach is based on generating an electrical discharge and measuring the specific gas breakdown voltage associated with each gas present in a sample. An array of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a substrate is connected to a variable-pulse voltage source. The CNT tips are spaced appropriately from the second electrode maintained at a constant voltage. A sequence of voltage pulses is applied and a pulse discharge breakdown threshold voltage is estimated for one or more gas components, from an analysis of the current-voltage characteristics. Each estimated pulse discharge breakdown threshold voltage is compared with known threshold voltages for candidate gas components to estimate whether at least one candidate gas component is present in the gas. The procedure can be repeated at higher pulse voltages to estimate a pulse discharge breakdown threshold voltage for a second component present in the gas. The CNTs in the gas sensor have a sharp (low radius of curvature) tip; they are preferably multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) or carbon nanofibers (CNFs), to generate high-strength electrical fields adjacent to the tips for breakdown of the gas components with lower voltage application and generation of high current. The sensor system can provide a high-sensitivity, low-power-consumption tool that is very specific for identification of one or more gas components. The sensor can be multiplexed to measure current from multiple CNT arrays for simultaneous detection of several gas components.

Flexible room-temperature formaldehyde sensors based on rGO film and rGo/MoS2 hybrid film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xian; Wang, Jing; Xie, Dan; Xu, Jianlong; Xia, Yi; Li, Weiwei; Xiang, Lan; Li, Zhemin; Xu, Shiwei; Komarneni, Sridhar

2017-08-01

Gas sensors based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films and rGO/MoS2 hybrid films were fabricated on polyethylene naphthalate substrates by a simple self-assembly method, which yielded flexible devices for detection of formaldehyde (HCHO) at room temperature. The sensing test results indicated that the rGO and rGO/MoS2 sensors were highly sensitive and fully recoverable to a ppm-level of HCHO. The bending and fatigue test results revealed that the sensors were also mechanically robust, durable and effective for long-term use. The rGO/MoS2 sensors showed higher sensitivities than rGO sensors, which was attributed to the enhanced HCHO adsorption and electron transfer mediated by MoS2. Furthermore, two kinds of MoS2 nanosheets were prepared by either hydrothermal synthesis or chemical exfoliation and were compared for their detection of HCHO, which revealed that the hydrothermally produced MoS2 nanosheets with rich defects led to enhanced sensitivity of the rGO/MoS2 sensors. Moreover, these fabricated flexible sensors can be applied for the HCHO detection in food packaging.

Flexible room-temperature formaldehyde sensors based on rGO film and rGo/MoS2 hybrid film.

PubMed

Li, Xian; Wang, Jing; Xie, Dan; Xu, Jianlong; Xia, Yi; Li, Weiwei; Xiang, Lan; Li, Zhemin; Xu, Shiwei; Komarneni, Sridhar

2017-08-11

Gas sensors based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films and rGO/MoS 2 hybrid films were fabricated on polyethylene naphthalate substrates by a simple self-assembly method, which yielded flexible devices for detection of formaldehyde (HCHO) at room temperature. The sensing test results indicated that the rGO and rGO/MoS 2 sensors were highly sensitive and fully recoverable to a ppm-level of HCHO. The bending and fatigue test results revealed that the sensors were also mechanically robust, durable and effective for long-term use. The rGO/MoS 2 sensors showed higher sensitivities than rGO sensors, which was attributed to the enhanced HCHO adsorption and electron transfer mediated by MoS 2 . Furthermore, two kinds of MoS 2 nanosheets were prepared by either hydrothermal synthesis or chemical exfoliation and were compared for their detection of HCHO, which revealed that the hydrothermally produced MoS 2 nanosheets with rich defects led to enhanced sensitivity of the rGO/MoS 2 sensors. Moreover, these fabricated flexible sensors can be applied for the HCHO detection in food packaging.

Bromothymol blue coated fiber optic Fabry-Perot interferometer for ammonia gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawar, Dnyandeo; Mane, S. A.; Kale, S. N.

2017-04-01

A single mode fiber is used in this study, in a Y-coupler mode; the mirror tip of which is coated with bromothymol blue (BTB), homogeneously mixed in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix. The setup operated at 1550 nm, and was used to sense extremely small quantities of ammonia gas, at room temperature. The sensor is able to detect ammonia in the range of 1.5 ppm to 150 ppm; with observed sensitivity in terms of wavelength shift of 0.7 nm. The sensor showed excellent reversibility with fast response and recovery time of the order of few seconds. The possible interaction of dye with ammonia was studied and compared with chloroform.

Fiber optic distributed chemical sensor for the real time detection of hydrocarbon fuel leaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, Edgar; Kempen, C.; Esterkin, Yan; Sun, Sunjian

2015-09-01

With the increase worldwide demand for hydrocarbon fuels and the vast development of new fuel production and delivery infrastructure installations around the world, there is a growing need for reliable hydrocarbon fuel leak detection technologies to provide safety and reduce environmental risks. Hydrocarbon leaks (gas or liquid) pose an extreme danger and need to be detected very quickly to avoid potential disasters. Gas leaks have the greatest potential for causing damage due to the explosion risk from the dispersion of gas clouds. This paper describes progress towards the development of a fast response, high sensitivity, distributed fiber optic fuel leak detection (HySense™) system based on the use of an optical fiber that uses a hydrocarbon sensitive fluorescent coating to detect the presence of fuel leaks present in close proximity along the length of the sensor fiber. The HySense™ system operates in two modes, leak detection and leak localization, and will trigger an alarm within seconds of exposure contact. The fast and accurate response of the sensor provides reliable fluid leak detection for pipelines, storage tanks, airports, pumps, and valves to detect and minimize any potential catastrophic damage.

Effect of top-down nanomachining on electrical conduction properties of TiO2 nanostructure-based chemical sensors.

PubMed

Francioso, L; De Pascali, C; Capone, S; Siciliano, P

2012-03-09

The present research was motivated by the growing interest of the scientific community towards the understanding of basic gas-surface interaction mechanisms in 1D nanostructured metal oxide semiconductors, whose significantly enhanced chemical detection sensitivity is known. In this work, impedance spectroscopy (IS) was used to evaluate how a top-down patterning of the sensitive layer can modulate the electrical properties of a gas sensor based on a fully integrated nanometric array of TiO(2) polycrystalline strips. The aim of the study was supported by comparative experimental activity carried out on different thin film gas sensors based on identical TiO(2) polycrystalline sensitive thin films. The impedance responses of the investigated devices under dry air (as the reference environment) and ethanol vapors (as the target gas) were fitted by a complex nonlinear least-squares method using LEVM software, in order to find an appropriate equivalent circuit describing the main conduction processes involved in the gas/semiconductor interactions. Two different equivalent circuit models were identified as completely representative of the TiO(2) thin film and the TiO(2) nanostructure-based gas sensors, respectively. All the circuit parameters were quantified and the related standard deviations were evaluated. The simulated results well approximated the experimental data as indicated by the small mean errors of the fits (in the range of 10(-4)) and the small standard deviations of the circuit parameters. In addition to the substrate capacitance, three different contributions to the overall conduction mechanism were identified for both equivalent circuits: bulk conductivity, intergrain contact and semiconductor-electrode contact, electrically represented by an ideal resistor R(g), a parallel R(gb)C(gb) block and a parallel R(c)-CPE(c) combination, respectively. In terms of equivalent circuit modeling, the sensitive layer patterning introduced an additional parameter in parallel connection with the whole circuit block. Such a circuit element (an ideal inductor, L) has an average value of about 125 μH and exhibits no direct dependence on the analyte gas concentration. Its presence could be due to complex mutual inductance effects occurring both between all the adjacent nanostrips (10 µm spaced) and between the nanostrips and the n-type-doped silicon substrate underneath the thermal oxide (wire/plate effect), where a two order of magnitude higher magnetic permeability of silicon can give L values comparable with those estimated by the fitting procedure. Slightly modified experimental models confirmed that the theoretical background, regulating thin film devices based on metal oxide semiconductors, is also valid for nanopatterned devices.

Synthesis, characterization and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing properties of WO3 nano-particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Subhash; Majumder, S. B.

2018-05-01

Metal oxide sensors, such as ZnO, SnO2, and WO3 etc. have been utilized for several decades for low-costd etection of combustible and toxic gases. In the present work tungsten oxide (WO3) nanoparticles have been prepared by using an economic wet chemical synthesis route. To understand the phase formation behavior of the synthesized powders, X-ray diffraction analysis has been performed. The microstructure evolution of the synthesized powders was characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The calcined phase pure WO3 nanoparticles are investigated in terms of LPG gas sensing properties. The gas sensing measurements has been done in two different mode of operation (namely static and dynamic measurements). The degree of oxygen deficiency in the WO3 sensor also affected the sensor properties and the optimum oxygen content of WO3 was necessary to get high sensitivity for LPG. The WO3 sensor shows the excellent sensor properties for LPG at the operating temperature of 250°C.

Adsorption and dissociation of sulfur-based toxic gas molecules on silicene nanoribbons: a quest for high-performance gas sensors and catalysts.

PubMed

Walia, Gurleen Kaur; Randhawa, Deep Kamal Kaur

2018-03-16

The adsorption behavior of sulfur-based toxic gases (H 2 S and SO 2 ) on armchair silicene nanoribbons (ASiNRs) was investigated using first-principles density functional theory (DFT). Being a zero band gap material, application of bulk silicene is limited in nanoelectronics, despite its high carrier mobility. By restricting its dimensions into one dimension, construction of nanoribbons, and by introduction of a defect, its band gap can be tuned. Pristine armchair silicene nanoribbons (P-ASiNRs) have a very low sensitivity to gas molecules. Therefore, a defect was introduced by removal of one Si atom, leading to increased sensitivity. To deeply understand the impact of the aforementioned gases on silicene nanoribbons, electronic band structures, density of states, charge transfers, adsorption energies, electron densities, current-voltage characteristics and most stable adsorption configurations were calculated. H 2 S is dissociated completely into HS and H species when adsorbed onto defective armchair silicene nanoribbons (D-ASiNRs). Thus, D-ASiNR is a likely catalyst for dissociation of the H 2 S gas molecule. Conversely, upon SO 2 adsorption, P-ASiNR acts as a suitable sensor, whereas D-ASiNR provides enhanced sensitivity compared with P-ASiNR. On the basis of these results, D-ASiNR can be expected to be a disposable sensor for SO 2 detection as well as a catalyst for H 2 S reduction. Graphical abstract Comparison of I-V characteristics of pristine and defective armchair silicene nanoribbons with H 2 S and SO 2 adsorbed on them.

External cavity tunable quantum cascade lasers and their applications to trace gas monitoring.

PubMed

Rao, Gottipaty N; Karpf, Andreas

2011-02-01

Since the first quantum cascade laser (QCL) was demonstrated approximately 16 years ago, we have witnessed an explosion of interesting developments in QCL technology and QCL-based trace gas sensors. QCLs operate in the mid-IR region (3-24 μm) and can directly access the rotational vibrational bands of most molecular species and, therefore, are ideally suited for trace gas detection with high specificity and sensitivity. These sensors have applications in a wide range of fields, including environmental monitoring, atmospheric chemistry, medical diagnostics, homeland security, detection of explosive compounds, and industrial process control, to name a few. Tunable external cavity (EC)-QCLs in particular offer narrow linewidths, wide ranges of tunability, and stable power outputs, which open up new possibilities for sensor development. These features allow for the simultaneous detection of multiple species and the study of large molecules, free radicals, ions, and reaction kinetics. In this article, we review the current status of EC-QCLs and sensor developments based on them and speculate on possible future developments.

H.sub.2O doped WO.sub.3, ultra-fast, high-sensitivity hydrogen sensors

DOEpatents

Liu, Ping [Denver, CO; Tracy, C Edwin [Golden, CO; Pitts, J Roland [Lakewood, CO; Lee, Se-Hee [Lakewood, CO

2011-03-22

An ultra-fast response, high sensitivity structure for optical detection of low concentrations of hydrogen gas, comprising: a substrate; a water-doped WO.sub.3 layer coated on the substrate; and a palladium layer coated on the water-doped WO.sub.3 layer.

Investigation of Gasochromic Rhodium Complexes Towards Their Reactivity to CO and Integration into an Optical Gas Sensor for Fire Gas Detection.

PubMed

Pannek, Carolin; Tarantik, Karina R; Schmitt, Katrin; Wöllenstein, Jürgen

2018-06-21

The detection of the toxic gas carbon monoxide (CO) in the low ppm range is required in different applications. We present a study of the reactivity of different gasochromic rhodium complexes towards the toxic gas carbon monoxide (CO). Therefore, variations of binuclear rhodium complexes with different ligands were prepared. They were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. All complexes are spectroscopically distinguishable and temperature stable up to at least 187 °C. The gasochromic behavior of all different compounds was tested. Therefore, the compounds were dissolved in toluene and exposed to 100 ppm CO for 10 min to investigate their gas sensitivity and reaction velocity. The changes in the transmission spectra were recorded by UV/vis spectroscopy. Furthermore, a significant influence of the solvent to the color dyes’ gasochromic reaction and behavior was observed. After characterization, one complex was transferred as sensing element into an optical gas sensor. Two different measurement principles (reflection- and waveguide-based) were built up and tested towards their capability as gasochromic CO sensors. Finally, different gas-dependent measurements were carried out.

Optical bio-sniffer for ethanol vapor using an oxygen-sensitive optical fiber.

PubMed

Mitsubayashi, Kohji; Kon, Takuo; Hashimoto, Yuki

2003-11-30

An optical bio-sniffer for ethanol was constructed by immobilizing alcohol oxidase (AOD) onto a tip of a fiber optic oxygen sensor with a tube-ring, using an oxygen sensitive ruthenium organic complex (excitation, 470 nm; fluorescent, 600 nm). A reaction unit for circulating buffer solution was applied to the tip of the device. After the experiment in the liquid phase, the sniffer-device was applied for gas analysis using a gas flow measurement system with a gas generator. The optical device was applied to detect the oxygen consumption induced by AOD enzymatic reaction with alcohol application. The sensor in the liquid phase was used to measure ethanol solution from 0.50 to 9.09 mmol/l. Then, the bio-sniffer was calibrated against ethanol vapor from 0.71 to 51.49 ppm with good gas-selectivity based on the AOD substrate specificity. The bio-sniffer with the reaction unit was also used to monitor the concentration change of gaseous ethanol by rinsing and cleaning the fiber tip and the enzyme membrane with buffer solution.

3D Architectured Graphene/Metal Oxide Hybrids for Gas Sensors: A Review

PubMed Central

Xia, Yi; Li, Ran; Chen, Ruosong; Wang, Jing; Xiang, Lan

2018-01-01

Graphene/metal oxide-based materials have been demonstrated as promising candidates for gas sensing applications due to the enhanced sensing performance and synergetic effects of the two components. Plenty of metal oxides such as SnO2, ZnO, WO3, etc. have been hybridized with graphene to improve the gas sensing properties. However, graphene/metal oxide nanohybrid- based gas sensors still have several limitations in practical application such as the insufficient sensitivity and response rate, and long recovery time in some cases. To achieve higher sensing performances of graphene/metal oxides nanocomposites, many recent efforts have been devoted to the controllable synthesis of 3D graphene/metal oxides architectures owing to their large surface area and well-organized structure for the enhanced gas adsorption/diffusion on sensing films. This review summarizes recent advances in the synthesis, assembly, and applications of 3D architectured graphene/metal oxide hybrids for gas sensing. PMID:29735951

A High Sensitivity Isopropanol Vapor Sensor Based on Cr₂O₃-SnO₂ Heterojunction Nanocomposites via Chemical Precipitation Route.

PubMed

Jawaher, K Rackesh; Indirajith, R; Krishnan, S; Robert, R; Pasha, S K Khadheer; Deshmukh, Kalim; Sastikumar, D; Das, S Jerome

2018-08-01

Cr2O3-SnO2 heterojunction nanocomposites were prepared via chemical precipitation method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and Field Emission Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The XRD spectrum confirms the presence of both tetragonal rutile SnO2 and rhombohedral corundum Cr2O3 structure. Further investigation into the gas sensing performances of the prepared Cr2O3-SnO2 nanocomposites exhibited an enhanced sensitivity towards VOPs such as isopropanol, acetone, ethanol and formaldehyde. Especially, isopropanol vapor sensor shows excellent sensitivity at an operating temperature of 100 °C. The highest sensitivity for Cr2O3-SnO2 heterojunction nanocomposites indicate that these materials can be a good candidate for the production of high-performance isopropanol sensors.

Detection of unburned fuel as contaminant in engine oil by a gas microsensor array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capone, Simonetta; Zuppa, Marzia; Presicce, Dominique S.; Epifani, Mauro; Francioso, Luca; Siciliano, Pietro; Distante, C.

2007-05-01

We developed a novel method to detect the presence of unburned diesel fuel in used diesel fuel engine oil. The method is based on the use of an array of different gas microsensors based on metal oxide thin films deposited by sol-gel technique on Si substrates. The sensor array, exposed to the volatile chemical species of different diesel fuel engine oil samples contaminated in different percentages by diesel fuel, resulted to be appreciable sensitive to them. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Self-Organizing Map (SOM) applied to the sensor response data-set gave a first proof of the sensor array ability to discriminate among the different diesel fuel diluted lubricating oils. Moreover, in order to get information about the headspace composition of the diesel fuel-contaminated engine oils used for gas-sensing tests, we analyzed the engine oil samples by Static Headspace Solid Phase Micro Extraction/Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (SHS-SPME/ GC/MS).

Chirped Laser Dispersion Spectroscopy for Remote Open-Path Trace-Gas Sensing

PubMed Central

Nikodem, Michal; Wysocki, Gerard

2012-01-01

In this paper we present a prototype instrument for remote open-path detection of nitrous oxide. The sensor is based on a 4.53 μm quantum cascade laser and uses the chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy (CLaDS) technique for molecular concentration measurements. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of open-path laser-based trace-gas detection using a molecular dispersion measurement. The prototype sensor achieves a detection limit down to the single-ppbv level and exhibits excellent stability and robustness. The instrument characterization, field deployment performance, and the advantages of applying dispersion sensing to sensitive trace-gas detection in a remote open-path configuration are presented. PMID:23443389

Chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy for remote open-path trace-gas sensing.

PubMed

Nikodem, Michal; Wysocki, Gerard

2012-11-28

In this paper we present a prototype instrument for remote open-path detection of nitrous oxide. The sensor is based on a 4.53 μm quantum cascade laser and uses the chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy (CLaDS) technique for molecular concentration measurements. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of open-path laser-based trace-gas detection using a molecular dispersion measurement. The prototype sensor achieves a detection limit down to the single-ppbv level and exhibits excellent stability and robustness. The instrument characterization, field deployment performance, and the advantages of applying dispersion sensing to sensitive trace-gas detection in a remote open-path configuration are presented.

Investigation of the applicability of using the triple redundant hydrogen sensor for methane sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lantz, J. B.; Wynveen, R. A.

1983-01-01

Application specifications for the methane sensor were assembled and design guidelines, development goals and evaluation criteria were formulated. This was done to provide a framework to evaluate sensor performance and any design adjustments to the preprototype sensor that could be required to provide methane sensitivity. Good response to hydrogen was experimentally established for four hydrogen sensor elements to be later evaluated for methane response. Prior results were assembled and analyzed for other prototype hydrogen sensor performance parameters to form a comparison base. The four sensor elements previously shown to have good hydrogen response were experimentally evaluated for methane response in 2.5% methane-in-air. No response was obtained for any of the elements, despite the high methane concentration used (50% of the Lower Flammability Limit). It was concluded that the preprototype sensing elements were insensitive to methane and were hydrogen specific. Alternative sensor operating conditions and hardware design changes were considered to provide methane sensitivity to the preprototype sensor, including a variety of different methane sensing techniques. Minor changes to the existing sensor elements, sensor geometry and operating conditions will not make the preprototype hydrogen sensor respond to methane. New sensor elements that will provide methane and hydrogen sensitivity require replacement of the existing thermistor type elements. Some hydrogen sensing characteristics of the modified sensor will be compromised (larger in situ calibration gas volume and H2 nonspecificity). The preprototype hydrogen sensor should be retained for hydrogen monitoring and a separate methane sensor should be developed.

Slow light enhanced gas sensing in photonic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraeh, Christian; Martinez-Hurtado, J. L.; Popescu, Alexandru; Hedler, Harry; Finley, Jonathan J.

2018-02-01

Infrared spectroscopy allows for highly selective and highly sensitive detection of gas species and concentrations. Conventional gas spectrometers are generally large and unsuitable for on-chip applications. Long absorption path lengths are usually required and impose a challenge for miniaturization. In this work, a gas spectrometer is developed consisting of a microtube photonic crystal structure. This structure of millimetric form factors minimizes the required absorption path length due to slow light effects. The microtube photonic crystal allows for strong transmission in the mid-infrared and, due to its large void space fraction, a strong interaction between light and gas molecules. As a result, enhanced absorption of light increases the gas sensitivity of the device. Slow light enhanced gas absorption by a factor of 5.8 in is experimentally demonstrated at 5400 nm. We anticipate small form factor gas sensors on silicon to be a starting point for on-chip gas sensing architectures.

Novel Modified Optical Fibers for High Temperature In-Situ Miniaturized Gas Sensors in Advanced Fossil Energy Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pickrell, Gary; Scott, Brian

2014-06-30

This report covers the technical progress on the program “Novel Modified Optical Fibers for High Temperature In-Situ Miniaturized Gas Sensors in Advanced Fossil Energy Systems”, funded by the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, and performed by the Materials Science & Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering Departments at Virginia Tech, and summarizes technical progress from July 1st, 2005 –June 30th, 2014. The objective of this program was to develop novel fiber materials for high temperature gas sensors based on evanescent wave absorption in optical fibers. This project focused on two primary areas: the study ofmore » a sapphire photonic crystal fiber (SPCF) for operation at high temperature and long wavelengths, and a porous glass based fiber optic sensor for gas detection. The sapphire component of the project focused on the development of a sapphire photonic crystal fiber, modeling of the new structures, fabrication of the optimal structure, development of a long wavelength interrogation system, testing of the optical properties, and gas and temperature testing of the final sensor. The fabrication of the 6 rod SPCF gap bundle (diameter of 70μm) with a hollow core was successfully constructed with lead-in and lead-out 50μm diameter fiber along with transmission and gas detection testing. Testing of the sapphire photonic crystal fiber sensor capabilities with the developed long wavelength optical system showed the ability to detect CO 2 at or below 1000ppm at temperatures up to 1000°C. Work on the porous glass sensor focused on the development of a porous clad solid core optical fiber, a hollow core waveguide, gas detection capabilities at room and high temperature, simultaneous gas species detection, suitable joining technologies for the lead-in and lead-out fibers and the porous sensor, sensor system sensitivity improvement, signal processing improvement, relationship between pore structure and fiber geometry to optical properties, and the development of a sensor packaging prototype for laboratory testing. Analysis and experiments determined that a bonding technique using a CO 2 laser is the most suitable joining technique. Pore morphology alteration showed that transmission improved with increasing annealing temperature (producing smaller pores), while the sensor response time increased and the mechanical strength decreased with increasing annealing temperature. Software was developed for data acquisition and signal processing to collect and interpret spectral gas absorption data. Gas detection on porous glass sensors was completed and the detection limit was evaluated using acetylene and was found to be around 1- 200ppm. A complete materials package for porous glass sensors was manufactured for testing.« less

Semiconductor sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatos, Harry C. (Inventor); Lagowski, Jacek (Inventor)

1977-01-01

A semiconductor sensor adapted to detect with a high degree of sensitivity small magnitudes of a mechanical force, presence of traces of a gas or light. The sensor includes a high energy gap (i.e., .about. 1.0 electron volts) semiconductor wafer. Mechanical force is measured by employing a non-centrosymmetric material for the semiconductor. Distortion of the semiconductor by the force creates a contact potential difference (cpd) at the semiconductor surface, and this cpd is determined to give a measure of the force. When such a semiconductor is subjected to illumination with an energy less than the energy gap of the semiconductors, such illumination also creates a cpd at the surface. Detection of this cpd is employed to sense the illumination itself or, in a variation of the system, to detect a gas. When either a gas or light is to be detected and a crystal of a non-centrosymmetric material is employed, the presence of gas or light, in appropriate circumstances, results in a strain within the crystal which distorts the same and the distortion provides a mechanism for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the gas or the light, as the case may be.

γ-irradiation induced zinc ferrites and their enhanced room-temperature ammonia gas sensing properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raut, S. D.; Awasarmol, V. V.; Ghule, B. G.; Shaikh, S. F.; Gore, S. K.; Sharma, R. P.; Pawar, P. P.; Mane, R. S.

2018-03-01

Zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs), synthesized using a facile and cost-effective sol-gel auto-combustion method, were irradiated with 2 and 5 kGy γ-doses using 60Co as a radioactive source. Effect of γ-irradiation on the structure, morphology, pore-size and pore-volume and room-temperature (300 K) gas sensor performance has been measured and reported. Both as-synthesized and γ-irradiated ZnFe2O4 NPs reveal remarkable gas sensor activity to ammonia in contrast to methanol, ethanol, acetone and toluene volatile organic gases. The responses of pristine, 2 and 5 kGy γ-irradiated ZnFe2O4 NPs are respectively 55%, 66% and 81% @100 ppm concentration of ammonia, signifying an importance of γ-irradiation for enhancing the sensitivity, selectivity and stability of ZnFe2O4 NPs as ammonia gas sensors. Thereby, due to increase in surface area and crystallinity on γ-doses, the γ-irradiation improves the room-temperature ammonia gas sensing performance of ZnFe2O4.

[A mobile sensor for remote detection of natural gas leakage].

PubMed

Zhang, Shuai; Liu, Wen-qing; Zhang, Yu-jun; Kan, Rui-feng; Ruan, Jun; Wang, Li-ming; Yu, Dian-qiang; Dong, Jin-ting; Han, Xiao-lei; Cui, Yi-ben; Liu, Jian-guo

2012-02-01

The detection of natural gas pipeline leak becomes a significant issue for body security, environmental protection and security of state property. However, the leak detection is difficult, because of the pipeline's covering many areas, operating conditions and complicated environment. A mobile sensor for remote detection of natural gas leakage based on scanning wavelength differential absorption spectroscopy (SWDAS) is introduced. The improved soft threshold wavelet denoising was proposed by analyzing the characteristics of reflection spectrum. And the results showed that the signal to noise ratio (SNR) was increased three times. When light intensity is 530 nA, the minimum remote sensitivity will be 80 ppm x m. A widely used SWDAS can make quantitative remote sensing of natural gas leak and locate the leak source precisely in a faster, safer and more intelligent way.

Tilapia fish microbial spoilage monitored by a single optical gas sensor.

PubMed

Semeano, Ana T S; Maffei, Daniele F; Palma, Susana; Li, Rosamaria W C; Franco, Bernadette D G M; Roque, Ana C A; Gruber, Jonas

2018-07-01

As consumption of fish and fish-based foods increases, non-destructive monitoring of fish freshness also becomes more prominent. Fish products are very perishable and prone to microbiological growth, not always easily detected by organoleptic evaluation. The analysis of the headspace of fish specimens through gas sensing is an interesting approach to monitor fish freshness. Here we report a gas sensing method for monitoring Tilapia fish spoilage based on the application of a single gas sensitive gel material coupled to an optical electronic nose. The optical signals of the sensor and the extent of bacterial growth were followed over time, and results indicated good correlation between the two determinations, which suggests the potential application of this simple and low cost system for Tilapia fish freshness monitoring.

Ultrasensitive Detection of Methylmercaptan Gas Using Layered Manganese Oxide Nanosheets with a Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensor.

PubMed

Tokura, Yuki; Nakada, Gentoku; Moriyama, Yukari; Oaki, Yuya; Imai, Hiroaki; Shiratori, Seimei

2017-11-21

Methylmercaptan (MM) is a marker of periodontal disease; however, the required sensitivity for MM is parts per billion, which has been challenging to realize with a simple sensor. Here, we report the capability to detect MM at concentrations as low as 20 ppb using layered manganese oxide nanosheets with a quartz crystal microbalance sensor. The sensing capabilities of the manganese oxide nanosheets are promoted by adsorbed water present on and between the nanosheets. The strong adsorption of MM to the sensor, which is necessary for the high sensitivity, leads to significant hysteresis in the response on cycling due to irreversible adsorption. However, the sensor can be readily reset by heating to 80 °C, which leads to highly reproducible response to MM vapor at low concentrations. A key aspect of this sensor design is the high selectivity toward MM in comparison to other compounds such as ethanol, ammonia, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, toluene, and pyridine. This layered nanosheets design for high-sensitivity sensors, demonstrated here for dilute MM, holds significant promise for addressing needs to identify sulfur compounds associated for environmental protection and medical diagnostics.

a Facile Synthesis of Fully Porous Tazo Composite and its Remarkable Gas Sensitive Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Dongdong; Liu, Shimin; Wang, Zhinuo; Guo, Yu; Jiang, Weiwei; Liu, Chaoqian; Ding, Wanyu; Wang, Hualin; Wang, Nan; Zhang, Zhihua

The composite of a nanocrystalline SnO2 thick film deposited on an Al-doped ZnO ceramic substrate was firstly proposed. This study also provided a simple, fast and cost effective method to prepare SnO2 thick film and Al-doped ZnO ceramic as well as the final composite. The crystal structure, morphology, composition, pore size distribution and gas sensitivity of the composite were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Barrett-Joyner-Halenda analysis and gas sensitive measurement system. Results indicated that the composite was fully porous consisted of SnO2, ZnO and ZnAl2O4 crystal phases. The macrosized pores generated in the composite could enhance the gas infiltration into the sensing layers effectively. In this way, combining a high gas-transporting-capability and a nanocrystalline SnO2 thick film, the composite showed very impressive performance. The gas sensitivity of the composite was high enough for ethanol vapor with different concentrations, which was comparable to other kinds of reported SnO2 gas sensors, while showing two straight lines with a turning point at 1000ppm. Finally, the gas sensitive mechanism was proposed based on the microstructure and composition of the composite.

Design of a highly sensitive ethanol sensor using a nano-coaxial p-Co3O4/n-TiO2 heterojunction synthesized at low temperature.

PubMed

Liang, Y Q; Cui, Z D; Zhu, S L; Li, Z Y; Yang, X J; Chen, Y J; Ma, J M

2013-11-21

In this paper, we describe the design, fabrication and gas-sensing tests of nano-coaxial p-Co3O4/n-TiO2 heterojunction. Specifically, uniform TiO2 nanotubular arrays have been assembled by anodization and used as templates for generation of the Co3O4 one-dimensional nanorods. The structure morphology and composition of as-prepared products have been characterized by SEM, XRD, TEM, and XPS. A possible growth mechanism governing the formation of such nano-coaxial heterojunctions is proposed. The TiO2 nanotube sensor shows a normal n-type response to reducing ethanol gas, whereas TiO2-Co3O4 exhibits p-type response with excellent sensing performances. This conversion of sensing behavior can be explained by the formation of p-n heterojunction structures. A possible sensing mechanism is also illustrated, which can provide theoretical guidance for the further development of advanced gas-sensitive materials with p-n heterojunction.

In situ etching WO{sub 3} nanoplates: Hydrothermal synthesis, photoluminescence and gas sensor properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Su, Xintai, E-mail: suxintai827@163.com; Li, Yani; Jian, Jikang

2010-12-15

A novel hydrothermal process using p-nitrobenzoic acid as structure-directing agent has been employed to synthesize plate-shaped WO{sub 3} nanostructures containing holes. The p-nitrobenzoic acid plays a critical role in the synthesis of such novel WO{sub 3} nanoplates. The morphology, structure and optical property of the WO{sub 3} nanoplates have been characterized by transmission electron microcopy (TEM), scanning electron microcopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL). The lateral size of the nanoplates is 500-1000 nm, and the thickness is about 80 nm. The formation mechanism of WO{sub 3} nanoplates is discussed briefly. The gas sensitivity of WO{sub 3} nanoplates wasmore » studied to ethanol and acetone at different operation temperatures and concentrations. Furthermore, the WO{sub 3} nanoplate-based gas sensor exhibits high sensitivity for ethanol and acetone as well as quick response and recovery time at low temperature.« less

Nanostructured zinc oxide films synthesized by successive chemical solution deposition for gas sensor applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lupan, O.; Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816-2385; Chow, L.

2009-01-08

Nanostructured ZnO thin films have been deposited using a successive chemical solution deposition method. The structural, morphological, electrical and sensing properties of the films were studied for different concentrations of Al-dopant and were analyzed as a function of rapid photothermal processing temperatures. The films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Electrical and gas sensitivity measurements were conducted as well. The average grain size is 240 and 224 A for undoped ZnO and Al-doped ZnO films, respectively. We demonstrate that rapid photothermal processing is an efficient method for improving themore » quality of nanostructured ZnO films. Nanostructured ZnO films doped with Al showed a higher sensitivity to carbon dioxide than undoped ZnO films. The correlations between material compositions, microstructures of the films and the properties of the gas sensors are discussed.« less

Adsorption of CO2 on Fe-doped graphene nano-ribbons: Investigation of transport properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Othman, W.; Fahed, M.; Hatim, S.; Sherazi, A.; Berdiyorov, G.; Tit, N.

2017-07-01

Density functional theory combined with the non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism is used to study the conductance response of Fe-doped graphene nano-ribbons (GNRs) to CO2 gas adsorption. A single Fe atom is either adsorbed on GNR’s surface (aFe-graphene) or it substitutes the carbon atom (sFe-graphene). Metal atom doping reduces the electronic transmission of pristine graphene due to the localization of electronic states near the impurity site. Moreover, the aFe-graphene is found to be less sensitive to the CO2 molecule attachment as compared to the sFe-graphene system. These behaviours are not only consolidated but rather confirmed by calculating the IV characteristics from which both surface resistance and its sensitivity to the gas are estimated. Since the change in the conductivity is one of the main outputs of sensors, our findings will be useful in developing efficient graphene-based solid-state gas sensors.

Glomerular latency coding in artificial olfaction.

PubMed

Yamani, Jaber Al; Boussaid, Farid; Bermak, Amine; Martinez, Dominique

2011-01-01

Sensory perception results from the way sensory information is subsequently transformed in the brain. Olfaction is a typical example in which odor representations undergo considerable changes as they pass from olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) to second-order neurons. First, many ORNs expressing the same receptor protein yet presenting heterogeneous dose-response properties converge onto individually identifiable glomeruli. Second, onset latency of glomerular activation is believed to play a role in encoding odor quality and quantity in the context of fast information processing. Taking inspiration from the olfactory pathway, we designed a simple yet robust glomerular latency coding scheme for processing gas sensor data. The proposed bio-inspired approach was evaluated using an in-house SnO(2) sensor array. Glomerular convergence was achieved by noting the possible analogy between receptor protein expressed in ORNs and metal catalyst used across the fabricated gas sensor array. Ion implantation was another technique used to account both for sensor heterogeneity and enhanced sensitivity. The response of the gas sensor array was mapped into glomerular latency patterns, whose rank order is concentration-invariant. Gas recognition was achieved by simply looking for a "match" within a library of spatio-temporal spike fingerprints. Because of its simplicity, this approach enables the integration of sensing and processing onto a single-chip.

A widely tunable, near-infrared laser-based trace gas sensor for hydrogen cyanide (HCN) detection in exhaled breath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhar, M.; Mandon, J.; Neerincx, A. H.; Liu, Z.; Mink, J.; Merkus, P. J. F. M.; Cristescu, S. M.; Harren, F. J. M.

2017-11-01

A compact, cost-effective sensor is developed for detection of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in exhaled breath within seconds. For this, an off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy setup is combined with a widely tunable compact near-infrared laser (tunability 1527-1564 nm). For HCN a detection sensitivity has been obtained of 8 ppbv in nitrogen (within 1 s), equal to a noise equivalent absorption sensitivity of 1.9 × 10-9 cm-1 Hz-1/2. With this sensor we demonstrated the presence of HCN in exhaled breath; its detection could be a good indicator for bacterial lung infection. Due to its compact, cost-effective and user-friendly design, this laser-based sensor has the potential to be implemented in future clinical applications.

Highly sensitive detection of explosive triacetone triperoxide by an In2O3 sensor.

PubMed

Zhang, Wen-Hui; Zhang, Wei-De; Chen, Lu-Ya

2010-08-06

Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) is one of the most sensitive known explosives and can be easily synthesized using the commonly available chemicals acetone and hydrogen peroxide, but is difficult to be detected. In this study, In(2)O(3) nanoparticles were synthesized by a glucose-assisted solvothermal method at 120 degrees C for 18 h. The gas sensor based on In(2)O(3) nanoparticles exhibits a high response, fast response and recovery, a wide detecting range of 0.50-500 mg, good stability and excellent stability to TATP.

Development of a Hydrogen Gas Sensor Using a Double Saw Resonator System at Room Temperature

PubMed Central

Yunusa, Zainab; Hamidon, Mohd Nizar; Ismail, Alyani; Isa, Maryam Mohd; Yaacob, Mohd Hanif; Rahmanian, Saeed; Ibrahim, Siti Azlida; Shabaneh, Arafat A.A

2015-01-01

A double SAW resonator system was developed as a novel method for gas sensing applications. The proposed system was investigated for hydrogen sensing. Commercial Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) resonators with resonance frequencies of 433.92 MHz and 433.42 MHz were employed in the double SAW resonator system configuration. The advantages of using this configuration include its ability for remote measurements, and insensitivity to vibrations and other external disturbances. The sensitive layer is composed of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes and polyaniline nanofibers which were deposited on pre-patterned platinum metal electrodes fabricated on a piezoelectric substrate. This was mounted into the DSAWR circuit and connected in parallel. The sensor response was measured as the difference between the resonance frequencies of the SAW resonators, which is a measure of the gas concentration. The sensor showed good response towards hydrogen with a minimum detection limit of 1%. PMID:25730480

High granularity tracker based on a Triple-GEM optically read by a CMOS-based camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marafini, M.; Patera, V.; Pinci, D.; Sarti, A.; Sciubba, A.; Spiriti, E.

2015-12-01

The detection of photons produced during the avalanche development in gas chambers has been the subject of detailed studies in the past. The great progresses achieved in last years in the performance of micro-pattern gas detectors on one side and of photo-sensors on the other provide the possibility of making high granularity and very sensitive particle trackers. In this paper, the results obtained with a triple-GEM structure read-out by a CMOS based sensor are described. The use of an He/CF4 (60/40) gas mixture and a detailed optimization of the electric fields made possible to obtain a very high GEM light yield. About 80 photons per primary electron were detected by the sensor resulting in a very good capability of tracking both muons from cosmic rays and electrons from natural radioactivity.

[Study on remote sensing of methane leakage using a tunable diode laser].

PubMed

Fan, Hong; Gao, Xiao-Ming; Bao, Jian; Wang, Xia; Huang, Teng; Huang, Wei; Cao, Zhen-Song; Zhang, Wei-Jun

2006-08-01

The leak of natural gas is not only an economic loss, but also the fountain of danger. Conventional detection techniques of natural gas pipe leak have low efficiency and slow respond time, therefore, it is difficult for them to suit practice application. Optical sensors based on NIR tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy were widely used because of high sensitivity, small volume and less maintenance. In the present paper, a portable remote sensor of natural gas pipeline leak was reported. The sensor used a ratio of second to first harmonic signals as calibration method, and the results show a good consistency between the concentrations and the ratios of second to first harmonic signals. The effect of different topographic scattering targets on the ratio detection was measured and analyzed. The results show that the ratio of second to first harmonic signals can be used in practical application.

A Water-Stable Proton-Conductive Barium(II)-Organic Framework for Ammonia Sensing at High Humidity.

PubMed

Guo, Kaimeng; Zhao, Lili; Yu, Shihang; Zhou, Wenyan; Li, Zifeng; Li, Gang

2018-06-07

In view of environmental protection and the need for early prediction of major diseases, it is necessary to accurately monitor the change of trace ammonia concentration in air or in exhaled breath. However, the adoption of proton-conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as smart sensors in this field is limited by a lack of ultrasensitive gas-detecting performance at high relative humidity (RH). Here, the pellet fabrication of a water-stable proton-conductive MOF, Ba( o-CbPhH 2 IDC)(H 2 O) 4 ] n (1) ( o-CbPhH 4 IDC = 2-(2-carboxylphenyl)-1 H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid) is reported. The MOF 1 displays enhanced sensitivity and selectivity to NH 3 gas at high RHs (>85%) and 30 °C, and the sensing mechanism is suggested. The electrochemical impedance gas sensor fabricated by MOF 1 is a promising sensor for ammonia at mild temperature and high RHs.

Grapefruit photonic crystal fiber sensor for gas sensing application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Chuanyi; Wei, Heming; Zhu, Yinian; Krishnaswamy, Sridhar

2016-05-01

Use of long period gratings (LPGs) formed in grapefruit photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with thin-film overlay coated on the inner surface of air holes for gas sensing is demonstrated. The finite-element method was used to numerically simulate the grapefruit PCF-LPG modal coupling characteristics and resonance spectral response with respect to the refractive index of thin-film inside the holey region. A gas analyte-induced index variation of the thin-film immobilized on the inner surface of the holey region of the fiber can be observed by a shift of the resonance wavelength. As an example, we demonstrate a 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) sensor using grapefruit PCF-LPGs. The sensor exhibits a wavelength blue-shift of ˜820 pm as a result of exposure to DNT vapor with a vapor pressure of 411 ppbv at 25°C, and a sensitivity of 2 pm ppbv-1 can be achieved.

Freeze drying-assisted synthesis of Pt@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites as excellent hydrogen sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Xiaojing; Song, Xinjie; Gu, Cuiping; Ren, Haibo; Sun, Yufeng; Huang, Jiarui

2018-05-01

Quick and efficient detection of low concentrations of hydrogen remains a challenge because of the stability of hydrogen. A sensor based on reduced oxide graphene functionalized with Pt nanoparticles is successfully fabricated using a freeze-drying method followed by heat treatment. The structure and morphology of the Pt@rGO nanocomposites are well analyzed by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as-prepared Pt@rGO nanocomposites show excellent hydrogen gas sensing properties at a low working temperature of 50 °C. The sensitivity toward 0.5% hydrogen is 8%. The response and recovery times of the sensor exposed to 0.5% hydrogen are 63 and 104 s, respectively. The gas-sensing mechanism of Pt@rGO sensor is also discussed.

Flammable and noxious gas sensing using a microtripolar electrode sensor with diameter and chirality sorted single-walled carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Shengbing; Duan, Zhe min; Zhang, Yong

2013-08-01

We report on the utilization of densely packed (˜10 SWCNTs µm-1), well-aligned arrays of single-chirality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as an effective thin-film for integration into a gas sensor with a microtripolar electrode, based on field ionization by dielectrophoretic assembly from a monodisperse SWCNTs solution obtained by polymer-mediated sorting. The sensor is characterized as a field ionization electrode with sorted SWCNTs acting as both the sensing material and transducer gas concentrated directly into an electrical signal, an extractor serving to improve electric field uniformity and a collector electrode completing the current path. The gas sensing properties toward flammable and noxious gases, such as CO and H2, were investigated at room temperature. Besides the high sensitivity, the as-fabricated sensor exhibited attractive behaviors in terms of both the detection limit and a fast response, suggesting that our sensor could be used to partly circumvent the low sensing selectivity, long recovery time or irreversibility and allow for a preferential identification of the selected flammable and noxious analytes. Interestingly, the excellent sensing behaviors of the sensors based on the field ionization effect derive directly from the combined effects of the high-quality, low defect SWCNTs arrays, which leads to a small device-to-device variation in the properties and the optimization of electrode fabrication, highlighting the sensor as an appealing candidate in view of nanotube electronics.

Multicapillary Gas Chromatography-Temperature Modulated Metal Oxide Semiconductor Sensors Array Detector for Monitoring of Volatile Organic Compounds in Closed Atmosphere Using Gaussian Apodization Factor Analysis.

PubMed

Alinoori, Amir Hossein; Masoum, Saeed

2018-05-22

A unique metal oxide semiconductor sensor (MOS) array detector with eight sensors was designed and fabricated in a PTFE chamber as an interface for coupling with multicapillary gas chromatography. This design consists of eight transfer lines with equal length between the multicapillary columns (MCC) and sensors. The deactivated capillary columns were passed through each transfer line and homemade flow splitter to distribute the same gas flow on each sensor. Using the eight ports flow splitter design helps us to equal the length of carrier gas path and flow for each sensor, minimizing the dead volume of the sensor's chamber and increasing chromatographic resolution. In addition to coupling of MCC to MOS array detector and other considerations in hardware design, modulation of MOS temperature was used to increase sensitivity and selectivity, and data analysis was enhanced with adapted Gaussian apodization factor analysis (GAFA) as a multivariate curve resolution algorithm. Continues air sampling and injecting system (CASI) design provides a fast and easily applied method for continues injection of air sample with no additional sample preparation. The analysis cycle time required for each run is less than 300 s. The high sample load and sharp injection with the fast separation by MCC decrease the peak widths and improve detection limits. This homemade customized instrument is an alternative to other time-consuming and expensive technologies for continuous monitoring of outgassing in air samples.

Automated Hydrogen Gas Leak Detection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The Gencorp Aerojet Automated Hydrogen Gas Leak Detection System was developed through the cooperation of industry, academia, and the Government. Although the original purpose of the system was to detect leaks in the main engine of the space shuttle while on the launch pad, it also has significant commercial potential in applications for which there are no existing commercial systems. With high sensitivity, the system can detect hydrogen leaks at low concentrations in inert environments. The sensors are integrated with hardware and software to form a complete system. Several of these systems have already been purchased for use on the Ford Motor Company assembly line for natural gas vehicles. This system to detect trace hydrogen gas leaks from pressurized systems consists of a microprocessor-based control unit that operates a network of sensors. The sensors can be deployed around pipes, connectors, flanges, and tanks of pressurized systems where leaks may occur. The control unit monitors the sensors and provides the operator with a visual representation of the magnitude and locations of the leak as a function of time. The system can be customized to fit the user's needs; for example, it can monitor and display the condition of the flanges and fittings associated with the tank of a natural gas vehicle.

Sensing of low concentration of ammonia at room temperature by decorated multi-walled carbon nanotube: fabrication and characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasnahena, S. T.; Roy, M.

2018-01-01

A chemical sensor based on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) decorated with densely populated thiol-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with sizes smaller than 3 nm for sensing low concentrations of ammonia gas is reported. The functionalized MWCNTs, subsequently decorated with AuNPs following an easy fabrication route were exposed to NH3 gas at the room temperature and the electrical resistance of the sensor changed upon exposure. The sensor also partially recovered the initial state after sensing in the normal air environment (without any dry air or N2 gas purge). The gold nanoparticles decoration is found to enhance the sensitivity and selectivity of MWCNT towards NH3 gas under ambient conditions with a reduced response and recovery time. The material was structurally characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Thermal stability of the sensor till 574 °C was demonstrated by TGA analysis. This papers describes how thiol-capped AuNPs are uniformly decorated on the outer walls of the MWCNTs with a separation of 2-3 nm making use of the ionic nature of Au and how this uniform distribution of AuNPs increases the active sites for absorption of NH3 gas molecules leading to sensing its low concentrations.

Metal-Organic Framework Thin Film Coated Optical Fiber Sensors: A Novel Waveguide-Based Chemical Sensing Platform.

PubMed

Kim, Ki-Joong; Lu, Ping; Culp, Jeffrey T; Ohodnicki, Paul R

2018-02-23

Integration of optical fiber with sensitive thin films offers great potential for the realization of novel chemical sensing platforms. In this study, we present a simple design strategy and high performance of nanoporous metal-organic framework (MOF) based optical gas sensors, which enables detection of a wide range of concentrations of small molecules based upon extremely small differences in refractive indices as a function of analyte adsorption within the MOF framework. Thin and compact MOF films can be uniformly formed and tightly bound on the surface of etched optical fiber through a simple solution method which is critical for manufacturability of MOF-based sensor devices. The resulting sensors show high sensitivity/selectivity to CO 2 gas relative to other small gases (H 2 , N 2 , O 2 , and CO) with rapid (

Flexible Ferroelectric Sensors with Ultrahigh Pressure Sensitivity and Linear Response over Exceptionally Broad Pressure Range.

PubMed

Lee, Youngoh; Park, Jonghwa; Cho, Soowon; Shin, Young-Eun; Lee, Hochan; Kim, Jinyoung; Myoung, Jinyoung; Cho, Seungse; Kang, Saewon; Baig, Chunggi; Ko, Hyunhyub

2018-04-24

Flexible pressure sensors with a high sensitivity over a broad linear range can simplify wearable sensing systems without additional signal processing for the linear output, enabling device miniaturization and low power consumption. Here, we demonstrate a flexible ferroelectric sensor with ultrahigh pressure sensitivity and linear response over an exceptionally broad pressure range based on the material and structural design of ferroelectric composites with a multilayer interlocked microdome geometry. Due to the stress concentration between interlocked microdome arrays and increased contact area in the multilayer design, the flexible ferroelectric sensors could perceive static/dynamic pressure with high sensitivity (47.7 kPa -1 , 1.3 Pa minimum detection). In addition, efficient stress distribution between stacked multilayers enables linear sensing over exceptionally broad pressure range (0.0013-353 kPa) with fast response time (20 ms) and high reliability over 5000 repetitive cycles even at an extremely high pressure of 272 kPa. Our sensor can be used to monitor diverse stimuli from a low to a high pressure range including weak gas flow, acoustic sound, wrist pulse pressure, respiration, and foot pressure with a single device.

Carbon Nanotube-Based Chemical Sensors.

PubMed

Meyyappan, M

2016-04-27

The need to sense gases and vapors arises in numerous scenarios in industrial, environmental, security and medical applications. Traditionally, this activity has utilized bulky instruments to obtain both qualitative and quantitative information on the constituents of the gas mixture. It is ideal to use sensors for this purpose since they are smaller in size and less expensive; however, their performance in the field must match that of established analytical instruments in order to gain acceptance. In this regard, nanomaterials as sensing media offer advantages in sensitivity, preparation of chip-based sensors and construction of electronic nose for selective detection of analytes of interest. This article provides a review of the use of carbon nanotubes in gas and vapor sensing. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Highly sensitive response of solution-processed bismuth sulfide nanobelts for room-temperature nitrogen dioxide detection.

PubMed

Kan, Hao; Li, Min; Song, Zhilong; Liu, Sisi; Zhang, Baohui; Liu, Jingyao; Li, Ming-Yu; Zhang, Guangzu; Jiang, ShengLin; Liu, Huan

2017-11-15

Low dimensional nanomaterials have emerged as candidates for gas sensors owing to their unique size-dependent properties. In this paper, Bi 2 S 3 nanobelts were synthesized via a facile solvothermal process and spin-coated onto alumina substrates at room temperature. The conductometric devices can even sensitively response to the relatively low concentrations of NO 2 at room temperature, and their sensing performance can be effectively enhanced by the ligand exchange treatment with inorganic salts. The Pb(NO 3 ) 2 -treated device exhibited superior sensing performance of 58.8 under 5ppm NO 2 at room-temperature, with the response and recovery time of 28 and 106s. The competitive adsorption of NO 2 against O 2 on Bi 2 S 3 nanobelts, with the enhancement both in gas adsorption and charge transfer caused by the porous network of the very thin Bi 2 S 3 nanobelts, can be a reasonable explanation for the improved performance at room temperature. Their sensitive room-temperature response behaviors combined with the excellent solution processability, made Bi 2 S 3 nanobelts very attractive for the construction of low-cost gas sensors with lower power consumption. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nanoparticle Thin Films for Gas Sensors Prepared by Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation

PubMed Central

Caricato, Anna Paola; Luches, Armando; Rella, Roberto

2009-01-01

The matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique has been used for the deposition of metal dioxide (TiO2, SnO2) nanoparticle thin films for gas sensor applications. For this purpose, colloidal metal dioxide nanoparticles were diluted in volatile solvents, the solution was frozen at the liquid nitrogen temperature and irradiated with a pulsed excimer laser. The dioxide nanoparticles were deposited on Si and Al2O3 substrates. A rather uniform distribution of TiO2 nanoparticles with an average size of about 10 nm and of SnO2 nanoparticles with an average size of about 3 nm was obtained, as demonstrated by high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM-FEG) inspections. Gas-sensing devices based on the resistive transduction mechanism were fabricated by depositing the nanoparticle thin films onto suitable rough alumina substrates equipped with interdigitated electrical contacts and heating elements. Electrical characterization measurements were carried out in controlled environment. The results of the gas-sensing tests towards low concentrations of ethanol and acetone vapors are reported. Typical gas sensor parameters (gas responses, response/recovery time, sensitivity, and low detection limit) towards ethanol and acetone are presented. PMID:22574039

Nanoparticle thin films for gas sensors prepared by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation.

PubMed

Caricato, Anna Paola; Luches, Armando; Rella, Roberto

2009-01-01

The matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique has been used for the deposition of metal dioxide (TiO(2), SnO(2)) nanoparticle thin films for gas sensor applications. For this purpose, colloidal metal dioxide nanoparticles were diluted in volatile solvents, the solution was frozen at the liquid nitrogen temperature and irradiated with a pulsed excimer laser. The dioxide nanoparticles were deposited on Si and Al(2)O(3) substrates. A rather uniform distribution of TiO(2) nanoparticles with an average size of about 10 nm and of SnO(2) nanoparticles with an average size of about 3 nm was obtained, as demonstrated by high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM-FEG) inspections. Gas-sensing devices based on the resistive transduction mechanism were fabricated by depositing the nanoparticle thin films onto suitable rough alumina substrates equipped with interdigitated electrical contacts and heating elements. Electrical characterization measurements were carried out in controlled environment. The results of the gas-sensing tests towards low concentrations of ethanol and acetone vapors are reported. Typical gas sensor parameters (gas responses, response/recovery time, sensitivity, and low detection limit) towards ethanol and acetone are presented.

Enhancement of the sensitivity of gas sensor based on microstructure optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morshed, Monir; Hasan, Md. Imran; Razzak, S. M. Abdur

2015-12-01

This paper proposes the design and characterization of microstructure optical fiber for gas sensing applications. The aim is to detect toxic and colorless gases over a wide transmission band covering 0.80 µm to 2.00 µm wavelength. Numerical investigation is carried out by using the finite element method (FEM). The numerical study shows that sensitivity of the proposed sensor is moderately increased by introducing four non-circular holes around the defected core of photonic crystal fiber and the confinement loss is also reduced. Furthermore, we confirm that increasing the diameter of central air core and size of the non-circular holes can improve the relative sensitivity and the confinement loss is reduced by increasing the diameter of air holes in the cladding. The enhancement of the relative sensitivity is more than 27.58% (0.1323 to 0.1688) at the wavelength λ=1.33µm that is the absorption line of methane (CH4) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) gases. The confinement loss of the fiber is 1.765×10-8 dB/m.

A Fiber Optic Ammonia Sensor Using a Universal pH Indicator

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Adolfo J.; Zamarreño, Carlos R.; Matías, Ignacio R.; Arregui, Francisco. J.; Domínguez Cruz, Rene F.; May-Arrioja, Daniel. A.

2014-01-01

A universal pH indicator is used to fabricate a fiber optic ammonia sensor. The advantage of this pH indicator is that it exhibits sensitivity to ammonia over a broad wavelength range. This provides a differential response, with a valley around 500 nm and a peak around 650 nm, which allows us to perform ratiometric measurements. The ratiometric measurements provide not only an enhanced signal, but can also eliminate any external disturbance due to humidity or temperature fluctuations. In addition, the indicator is embedded in a hydrophobic and gas permeable polyurethane film named Tecoflex®. The film provides additional advantages to the sensor, such as operation in dry environments, efficient transport of the element to be measured to the sensitive area of the sensor, and prevent leakage or detachment of the indicator. The combination of the universal pH indicator and Tecoflex® film provides a reliable and robust fiber optic ammonia sensor. PMID:24583969

Magnesium ferrite nanoparticles: a rapid gas sensor for alcohol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godbole, Rhushikesh; Rao, Pratibha; Bhagwat, Sunita

2017-02-01

Highly porous spinel MgFe2O4 nanoparticles with a high specific surface area have been successfully synthesized by a sintering free auto-combustion technique and characterized for their structural and surface morphological properties using XRD, BET, TEM and SEM techniques. Their sensing properties to alcohol vapors viz. ethanol and methanol were investigated. The site occupation of metal ions was investigated by VSM. The as-synthesized sample shows the formation of sponge-like porous material which is necessary for gas adsorption. The gas sensing characteristics were obtained by measuring the gas response as a function of operating temperature, concentration of the gas, and the response-recovery time. The response of magnesium ferrite to ethanol and methanol vapors was compared and it was revealed that magnesium ferrite is more sensitive and selective to ethanol vapor. The sensor operates at a substantially low vapor concentration of about 1 ppm of alcohol vapors, exhibits fantastic response reproducibility, long term reliability and a very fast response and recovery property. Thus the present study explored the possibility of making rapidly responding alcohol vapor sensor based on magnesium ferrite. The sensing mechanism has been discussed in co-relation with magnetic and morphological properties. The role of occupancy of Mg2+ ions in magnesium ferrite on its gas sensing properties has also been studied and is found to influence the response of magnesium ferrite ethanol sensor.

WO{sub 3} thin film based multiple sensor array for electronic nose application

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramgir, Niranjan S., E-mail: niranjanpr@yahoo.com, E-mail: deepakcct1991@gmail.com; Goyal, C. P.; Datta, N.

2015-06-24

Multiple sensor array comprising 16 x 2 sensing elements were realized using RF sputtered WO{sub 3} thin films. The sensor films were modified with a thin layer of sensitizers namely Au, Ni, Cu, Al, Pd, Ti, Pt. The resulting sensor array were tested for their response towards different gases namely H{sub 2}S, NH{sub 3}, NO and C{sub 2}H{sub 5}OH. The sensor response values measured from the response curves indicates that the sensor array generates a unique signature pattern (bar chart) for the gases. The sensor response values can be used to get both qualitative and quantitative information about the gas.

Synthesis of Metal Oxide Nanomaterials for Chemical Sensors by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nandasiri, Manjula I.; Kuchibhatla, Satyanarayana V N T; Thevuthasan, Suntharampillai

2013-12-01

Since the industrial revolution, detection and monitoring of toxic matter, chemical wastes, and air pollutants has become an important environmental issue. Thus, it leads to the development of chemical sensors for various environmental applications. The recent disastrous oil spills over the near-surface of ocean due to the offshore drilling emphasize the use of chemical sensors for prevention and monitoring of the processes that might lead to these mishaps.1, 2 Chemical sensors operated on a simple principle that the sensing platform undergoes a detectable change when exposed to the target substance to be sensed. Among all the types of chemical sensors,more » solid state gas sensors have attracted a great deal of attention due to their advantages such as high sensitivity, greater selectivity, portability, high stability and low cost.3, 4 Especially, semiconducting metal oxides such as SnO2, TiO2, and WO3 have been widely used as the active sensing platforms in solid state gas sensors.5 For the enhanced properties of solid state gas sensors, finding new sensing materials or development of existing materials will be needed. Thus, nanostructured materials such as nanotubes,6-8 nanowires,9-11 nanorods,12-15 nanobelts,16, 17 and nano-scale thin films18-23 have been synthesized and studied for chemical sensing applications.« less

Ultrahigh-sensitive sensing platform based on p-type dumbbell-like Co3O4 network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Tingting; Zhang, Tong; Zhang, Rui; Lou, Zheng; Deng, Jianan; Wang, Lili

2017-12-01

Development of high performance room temperature sensors remains a grand challenge for high demand of practical application. Metal oxide semiconductors (MOSs) have many advantages over others due to their easy functionalization, high surface area, and low cost. However, they typically need a high work temperature during sensing process. Here, p-type sensing layer is reported, consisting of pore-rich dumbbell-like Co3O4 particles (DP-Co3O4) with intrinsic high catalytic activity. The gas sensor (GS) based DP-Co3O4 catalyst exhibits ultrahigh NH3 sensing activity along with excellent stability over other structure based NH3 GSs in room temperature work environment. In addition, the unique structure of DP-Co3O4 with pore-rich and high catalytic activity endows fast gas diffusion rate and high sensitivity at room temperature. Taken together, the findings in this work highlight the merit of integrating highly active materials in p-type materials, offering a framework to develop high-sensitivity room temperature sensing platforms.

Highly Sensitive and Selective Ethanol Sensor Fabricated with In-Doped 3DOM ZnO.

PubMed

Wang, Zhihua; Tian, Ziwei; Han, Dongmei; Gu, Fubo

2016-03-02

ZnO is an important n-type semiconductor sensing material. Currently, much attention has been attracted to finding an effective method to prepare ZnO nanomaterials with high sensing sensitivity and excellent selectivity. A three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) ZnO nanostructure with a large surface area is beneficial to gas and electron transfer, which can enhance the gas sensitivity of ZnO. Indium (In) doping is an effective way to improve the sensing properties of ZnO. In this paper, In-doped 3DOM ZnO with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity has been synthesized by using a colloidal crystal templating method. The 3DOM ZnO with 5 at. % of In-doping exhibits the highest sensitivity (∼88) to 100 ppm ethanol at 250 °C, which is approximately 3 times higher than that of pure 3DOM ZnO. The huge improvement to the sensitivity to ethanol was attributed to the increase in the surface area and the electron carrier concentration. The doping by In introduces more electrons into the matrix, which is helpful for increasing the amount of adsorbed oxygen, leading to high sensitivity. The In-doped 3DOM ZnO is a promising material for a new type of ethanol sensor.

Room temperature multiplexed gas sensing using chemical-sensitive 3.5-nm-thin silicon transistors.

PubMed

Fahad, Hossain Mohammad; Shiraki, Hiroshi; Amani, Matin; Zhang, Chuchu; Hebbar, Vivek Srinivas; Gao, Wei; Ota, Hiroki; Hettick, Mark; Kiriya, Daisuke; Chen, Yu-Ze; Chueh, Yu-Lun; Javey, Ali

2017-03-01

There is great interest in developing a low-power gas sensing technology that can sensitively and selectively quantify the chemical composition of a target atmosphere. Nanomaterials have emerged as extremely promising candidates for this technology due to their inherent low-dimensional nature and high surface-to-volume ratio. Among these, nanoscale silicon is of great interest because pristine silicon is largely inert on its own in the context of gas sensing, unless functionalized with an appropriate gas-sensitive material. We report a chemical-sensitive field-effect transistor (CS-FET) platform based on 3.5-nm-thin silicon channel transistors. Using industry-compatible processing techniques, the conventional electrically active gate stack is replaced by an ultrathin chemical-sensitive layer that is electrically nonconducting and coupled to the 3.5-nm-thin silicon channel. We demonstrate a low-power, sensitive, and selective multiplexed gas sensing technology using this platform by detecting H 2 S, H 2 , and NO 2 at room temperature for environment, health, and safety in the oil and gas industry, offering significant advantages over existing technology. Moreover, the system described here can be readily integrated with mobile electronics for distributed sensor networks in environmental pollution mapping and personal air-quality monitors.

Room temperature multiplexed gas sensing using chemical-sensitive 3.5-nm-thin silicon transistors

PubMed Central

Fahad, Hossain Mohammad; Shiraki, Hiroshi; Amani, Matin; Zhang, Chuchu; Hebbar, Vivek Srinivas; Gao, Wei; Ota, Hiroki; Hettick, Mark; Kiriya, Daisuke; Chen, Yu-Ze; Chueh, Yu-Lun; Javey, Ali

2017-01-01

There is great interest in developing a low-power gas sensing technology that can sensitively and selectively quantify the chemical composition of a target atmosphere. Nanomaterials have emerged as extremely promising candidates for this technology due to their inherent low-dimensional nature and high surface-to-volume ratio. Among these, nanoscale silicon is of great interest because pristine silicon is largely inert on its own in the context of gas sensing, unless functionalized with an appropriate gas-sensitive material. We report a chemical-sensitive field-effect transistor (CS-FET) platform based on 3.5-nm-thin silicon channel transistors. Using industry-compatible processing techniques, the conventional electrically active gate stack is replaced by an ultrathin chemical-sensitive layer that is electrically nonconducting and coupled to the 3.5-nm-thin silicon channel. We demonstrate a low-power, sensitive, and selective multiplexed gas sensing technology using this platform by detecting H2S, H2, and NO2 at room temperature for environment, health, and safety in the oil and gas industry, offering significant advantages over existing technology. Moreover, the system described here can be readily integrated with mobile electronics for distributed sensor networks in environmental pollution mapping and personal air-quality monitors. PMID:28378017

DNA decorated carbon nanotube sensors on CMOS circuitry for environmental monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yu; Chen, Chia-Ling; Agarwal, V.; Li, Xinghui; Sonkusale, S.; Dokmeci, Mehmet R.; Wang, Ming L.

2010-04-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with their large surface area, high aspect ratio are one of the novel materials which have numerous attractive features amenable for high sensitivity sensors. Several nanotube based sensors including, gas, chemical and biosensors have been demonstrated. Moreover, most of these sensors require off chip components to detect the variations in the signals making them complicated and hard to commercialize. Here we present a novel complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated carbon nanotube sensors for portable high sensitivity chemical sensing applications. Multiple zincation steps have been developed to ascertain proper electrical connectivity between the carbon nanotubes and the foundry made CMOS circuitry. The SWNTs have been integrated onto (CMOS) circuitry as the feedback resistor of a Miller compensated operational amplifier utilizing low temperature Dielectrophoretic (DEP) assembly process which has been tailored to be compatible with the post-CMOS integration at the die level. Building nanotube sensors directly on commercial CMOS circuitry allows single chip solutions eliminating the need for long parasitic lines and numerous wire bonds. The carbon nanotube sensors realized on CMOS circuitry show strong response to various vapors including Dimethyl methylphosphonate and Dinitrotoluene. The remarkable set of attributes of the SWNTs realized on CMOS electronic chips provides an attractive platform for high sensitivity portable nanotube based bio and chemical sensors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pawar, C. S., E-mail: charudutta-p@yahoo.com; Gujar, M. P.; Mathe, V. L.

Nano crystalline Nickel Zinc ferrite (Ni{sub 0.25}Zn{sub 0.75}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) thin films were synthesized by Sol Gel method for gas response. The phase and microstructure of the obtained Ni{sub 0.25}Zn{sub 0.75}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nanostructured Ni{sub 0.25}Zn{sub 0.75}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin film shows single spinel phase. Magnetic study was obtained with the help of VSM. The effects of working temperature on the gas response were studied. The results reveal that the Ni{sub 0.25}Zn{sub 0.75}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin film gas sensor shows good selectivity to chlorine gas at roommore » temperature. The sensor shows highest sensitivity (∼50%) at room temperature, indicating its application in detecting chlorine gas at room temperature in the future.« less

A sulfur hexafluoride sensor using quantum cascade and CO2 laser-based photoacoustic spectroscopy.

PubMed

Rocha, Mila; Sthel, Marcelo; Lima, Guilherme; da Silva, Marcelo; Schramm, Delson; Miklós, András; Vargas, Helion

2010-01-01

The increase in greenhouse gas emissions is a serious environmental problem and has stimulated the scientific community to pay attention to the need for detection and monitoring of gases released into the atmosphere. In this regard, the development of sensitive and selective gas sensors has been the subject of several research programs. An important greenhouse gas is sulphur hexafluoride, an almost non-reactive gas widely employed in industrial processes worldwide. Indeed it is estimated that it has a radiative forcing of 0.52 W/m(2). This work compares two photoacoustic spectrometers, one coupled to a CO(2) laser and another one coupled to a Quantum Cascade (QC) laser, for the detection of SF(6). The laser photoacoustic spectrometers described in this work have been developed for gas detection at small concentrations. Detection limits of 20 ppbv for CO(2) laser and 50 ppbv for quantum cascade laser were obtained.

Tailoring the structure of metal oxide nanostructures towards enhanced sensing properties for environmental applications.

PubMed

Yang, Mingqing; He, Junhui

2012-02-15

The present article reviews recent works in our laboratory about the sensing properties to toxic gases using nanostructured WO(3), TiO(2), FTiO(2), and CuO functionalized quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors. WO(3) and TiO(2) functionalized QCM sensors have much shorter response time than those functionalized by conventional hydrogen-bond acidic branched copolymers for detection of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). FTiO(2) functionalized QCM sensors can improve the gas sensing characteristics by shortening the response time but at the price of partial irreversibility. The sensing mechanism was examined by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Varied CuO nanostructures were synthesized by simple modulation of reaction conditions. All the as-prepared CuO was applied on QCM resonators and explored for HCN sensing. Surprisingly, responses of all the sensors to HCN were found to be in an opposite direction as compared with other common volatile substances, offering excellent selectivity for HCN detection. The sensitivity was very high, and the response and recovery were very fast. Comparison of the specific surface areas of CuO nanostructures showed that CuO of higher surface area is more sensitive than that of lower surface area, indicating that the specific surface area of these CuO nanostructures plays an important role in the sensitivity of related sensors. Based on experimental results, a sensing mechanism was proposed in which a surface redox reaction occurs between CuO and Cu(2)O on the CuO nanostructures reversibly upon contact with HCN and air, respectively. The CuO functionalized QCM sensors are considered to be a promising candidate for trace HCN gas detection in practical applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimized hydrogen sensing characteristic of Pd/ZnO nanoparticles based Schottky diode on glass substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, Lalit; Sahu, Praveen Kumar; Dwivedi, R.; Mishra, V. N.

2017-10-01

The present work deals with the development of the Pd/ZnO naoparticles based sensor for detection of hydrogen (H2) gas at relatively low temperature (75-110 °C). Pd/ZnO Schottky diode was fabricated by ZnO nanoparticles based thin film on glass substrate using sol-gel spin coating technique. These ZnO nanoparticles have been characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscope (EDS), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) which reveals the ZnO film having particles size in the range of ~25 to ~110 nm with ~52.73 nm surface roughness. Gas dependent diode parameters such as barrier height and ideality factor have been evaluated upon exposure of H2 gas concentration in the range from 200-2000 ppm over the temperature range from 75 to 110 °C. The sensitivity of the Pd/ZnO sensor has been studied in terms of change in diode forward current upon exposure to H2 gas. Experimental result shows the optimized sensitivity ~246.22% for H2 concentration of 2000 ppm at temperature 90 °C. The hydrogen sensing mechanism has been explained by surface and subsurface adsorption of H2 molecules on Pd surface; subsequently, dissociation of H2 molecules into H  +  H atoms and diffusion to trap sites (oxygen ions) available on ZnO surface, resulting in formation of dipole moments at Pd/ZnO interface. The variation in the sensitivity, response and recovery time with temperature of Pd/ZnO sensor has also been studied.

MEMS-Based Gas Sensor Using PdO-Decorated TiO2 Thin Film for Highly Sensitive and Selective H2 Detection with Low Power Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwak, Seungmin; Shim, Young-Seok; Yoo, Yong Kyoung; Lee, Jin-Hyung; Kim, Inho; Kim, Jinseok; Lee, Kyu Hyoung; Lee, Jeong Hoon

2018-03-01

We report a micromachined H2 sensor that is composed of a Pt micro-heater, low-stress insulating layer (SiO2/SiNx/SiO2), Pt-interdigitated electrodes, and gas sensing materials. Three types of Pt micro-heater are designed as function of electrode width, and their thermal properties are systematically analyzed by finite element modeling FEM with infrared camera. The power consumptions when the surface temperature reached 150, 200, 250, and 300 °C are calculated to approximately 33, 48, 67 and 85 mW, respectively. The response of the PdO nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 thin films to H2 is much higher than those of other gases such as CH4 and CO at 200 °C (48 mW). Further, the response time is reduced to approximately 3 s. The enhancement of gas sensing properties is related to well-designed micro-heater and catalytic effects of PdO nanoparticles such as electronic and chemical sensitization. These results suggest that the PdO nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 thin film, namely MEMS-based H2 sensors are very promising for use in IoT application to improve the quality of human's life.

MEMS-Based Gas Sensor Using PdO-Decorated TiO2 Thin Film for Highly Sensitive and Selective H2 Detection with Low Power Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwak, Seungmin; Shim, Young-Seok; Yoo, Yong Kyoung; Lee, Jin-Hyung; Kim, Inho; Kim, Jinseok; Lee, Kyu Hyoung; Lee, Jeong Hoon

2018-05-01

We report a micromachined H2 sensor that is composed of a Pt micro-heater, low-stress insulating layer (SiO2/SiNx/SiO2), Pt-interdigitated electrodes, and gas sensing materials. Three types of Pt micro-heater are designed as function of electrode width, and their thermal properties are systematically analyzed by finite element modeling FEM with infrared camera. The power consumptions when the surface temperature reached 150, 200, 250, and 300 °C are calculated to approximately 33, 48, 67 and 85 mW, respectively. The response of the PdO nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 thin films to H2 is much higher than those of other gases such as CH4 and CO at 200 °C (48 mW). Further, the response time is reduced to approximately 3 s. The enhancement of gas sensing properties is related to well-designed micro-heater and catalytic effects of PdO nanoparticles such as electronic and chemical sensitization. These results suggest that the PdO nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 thin film, namely MEMS-based H2 sensors are very promising for use in IoT application to improve the quality of human's life.

Breath alcohol, multisensor arrays, and electronic noses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulsson, Nils; Winquist, Fredrik

1997-01-01

The concept behind a volatile compound mapper, or electronic nose, is to use the combination of multiple gas sensors and pattern recognition techniques to detect and quantify substances in gas mixtures. There are several different kinds of sensors which have been developed during recent years of which the base techniques are conducting polymers, piezo electrical crystals and solid state devices. In this work we have used a combination of gas sensitive field effect devices and semiconducting metal oxides. The most useful pattern recognition routine was found to be ANNs, which is a mathematical approximation of the human neural network. The aim of this work is to evaluate the possibility of using electronic noses in field instruments to detect drugs, arson residues, explosives etc. As a test application we have chosen breath alcohol measurements. There are several reasons for this. Breath samples are a quite complex mixture contains between 200 and 300 substances at trace levels. The alcohol level is low but still possible to handle. There are needs for replacing large and heavy mobile instruments with smaller devices. Current instrumentation is rather sensitive to interfering substances. The work so far has dealt with sampling, how to introduce ethanol and other substances in the breath, correlation measurements between the electronic nose and headspace GC, and how to evaluate the sensor signals.

Design and experimental verification of a photoacoustic flow sensor using computational fluid dynamics.

PubMed

Lassen, Mikael; Balslev-Harder, David; Brusch, Anders; Pelevic, Nikola; Persijn, Stefan; Petersen, Jan C

2018-02-01

A photoacoustic (PA) sensor for fast and real-time gas sensing is demonstrated. The PA sensor is a stand-alone system controlled by a field-programmable gate array. The PA cell has been designed for flow noise immunity using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The aim of the CFD analysis was to investigate and minimize the influence of the gas distribution and flow noise on the PA signal. PA measurements were conducted at different flow rates by exciting molecular C-H stretch vibrational bands of hexane (C 6 H 14 ) and decane (C 10 H 22 ) molecules in clean air at 2950  cm -1 (3.38 μm) with a custom-made mid-infrared interband cascade laser. We observe a (1σ, standard deviation) sensitivity of 0.4±0.1  ppb (nmol/mol) for hexane in clean air at flow rates up to 1.7 L/min, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 2.5×10 -9   W cm -1   Hz -1/2 , demonstrating high sensitivity and fast real-time gas analysis. An Allan deviation analysis for decane shows that the detection limit at optimum integration time is 0.25 ppbV (nmol/mol).

Enhanced performance of core-shell structured polyaniline at helical carbon nanotube hybrids for ammonia gas sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tian, Xin; Wang, Qiang; Chen, Xiangnan

2014-11-17

A core-shell structured hybrid of polyaniline at helical carbon nanotubes was synthesized using in situ polymerization, which the helical carbon nanotubes were uniformly surrounded by a layer of polyaniline nanorods array. More interestingly, repeatable responses were experimentally observed that the sensitivity to ammonia gas of the as-prepared helical shaped core-shell hybrid displays an enhancement of more than two times compared to those of only polyaniline or helical carbon nanotubes sensors because of the peculiar structures with high surface area. This kind of hybrid comprising nanorod arrays of conductive polymers covering carbon nanotubes and related structures provide a potential in sensorsmore » of trace gas detection for environmental monitoring and safety forecasting.« less

Gas sensing performance of nano zinc oxide sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sharma, Shiva, E-mail: shivasharmaau@gmail.com; Chauhan, Pratima, E-mail: mangu167@yahoo.co.in

We report nano Zinc Oxide (ZnO) synthesized by sol-gel method possessing the crystallite size which varies from 25.17 nm to 47.27 nm. The Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image confirms the uniform distribution of nanograins with high porosity. The Energy dispersion X-ray (EDAX) spectrum gives the atomic composition of Zn and O in ZnO powders and confirms the formation of nano ZnO particles. These factors reveals that Nano ZnO based gas sensors are highly sensitive to Ammonia gas (NH{sub 3}) at room temperature, indicating the maximum response 86.8% at 800 ppm with fast response time and recovery time of 36 sec and 23 secmore » respectively.« less

New portable instrument for the measurement of thermal conductivity in gas process conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Queirós, C. S. G. P.; Lourenço, M. J. V., E-mail: mjlourenco@fc.ul.pt; Vieira, S. I.

The development of high temperature gas sensors for the monitoring and determination of thermophysical properties of complex process mixtures at high temperatures faces several problems, related with the materials compatibility, active sensing parts sensitivity, and lifetime. Ceramic/thin metal films based sensors, previously developed for the determination of thermal conductivity of molten materials up to 1200 °C, were redesigned, constructed, and applied for thermal conductivity measuring sensors. Platinum resistance thermometers were also developed using the same technology, to be used in the temperature measurement, which were also constructed and tested. A new data acquisition system for the thermal conductivity sensors, based onmore » a linearization of the transient hot-strip model, including a portable electronic bridge for the measurement of the thermal conductivity in gas process conditions was also developed. The equipment is capable of measuring the thermal conductivity of gaseous phases with an accuracy of 2%-5% up to 840 °C (95% confidence level). The development of sensors up to 1200 °C, present at the core of the combustion chambers, will be done in a near future.« less

Graphene and poly(methyl methacrylate) composite laminates on flexible substrates for volatile organic compound detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rattanabut, Chanoknan; Wongwiriyapan, Winadda; Muangrat, Worawut; Bunjongpru, Win; Phonyiem, Mayuree; Song, Young Jae

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present a gas sensor for volatile organic compound (VOC) detection based on graphene and poly(methyl methacrylate) (GR/PMMA) composite laminates fabricated using CVD-grown graphene. Graphene was transferred to a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate by PMMA-supported wet transfer process without PMMA removal in order to achieve the deposition of GR/PMMA composite laminates on PET. The GR/PMMA and graphene sensors show completely different sensitivities to VOC vapors. The GR/PMMA and graphene sensors showed the highest sensitivities to dichloromethane (DCM). The response of the GR/PMMA sensor to DCM was 3 times higher than that of the graphene sensor but the GR/PMMA sensor hardly responded to acetone, chloroform, or benzene. The sensing mechanism of the graphene sensor can be based on the dielectric constant of VOCs, the size of VOC molecule, and electron hopping effects on defect graphene, while that of the GR/PMMA sensor can be explained in terms of the polymer swelling owing to the Hansen solubility parameter.

A High Sensitivity and Wide Dynamic Range Fiber-Optic Sensor for Low-Concentration VOC Gas Detection

PubMed Central

Khan, Md. Rajibur Rahaman; Kang, Shin-Won

2014-01-01

In this paper, we propose a volatile organic compound (VOC) gas sensing system with high sensitivity and a wide dynamic range that is based on the principle of the heterodyne frequency modulation method. According to this method, the time period of the sensing signal shift when Nile Red containing a VOC-sensitive membrane of a fiber-optic sensing element comes into contact with a VOC. This sensing membrane produces strong, fast and reversible signals when exposed to VOC gases. The response and recovery times of the proposed sensing system were less than 35 s, and good reproducibility and accuracy were obtained. PMID:25490592

Highly sensitive MoTe2 chemical sensor with fast recovery rate through gate biasing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Zhihong; Xie, Yuan; Chen, Jiancui; Yu, Yuanyuan; Zheng, Shijun; Zhang, Rui; Li, Quanning; Chen, Xuejiao; Sun, Chongling; Zhang, Hao; Pang, Wei; Liu, Jing; Zhang, Daihua

2017-06-01

The unique properties of two dimensional (2D) materials make them promising candidates for chemical and biological sensing applications. However, most 2D nanomaterial sensors suffer very long recovery time due to slow molecular desorption at room temperature. Here, we report a highly sensitive molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) gas sensor for NO2 and NH3 detection with greatly enhanced recovery rate. The effects of gate bias on sensing performance have been systematically studied. It is found that the recovery kinetics can be effectively adjusted by biasing the sensor to different gate voltages. Under the optimum biasing potential, the MoTe2 sensor can achieve more than 90% recovery after each sensing cycle well within 10 min at room temperature. The results demonstrate the potential of MoTe2 as a promising candidate for high-performance chemical sensors. The idea of exploiting gate bias to adjust molecular desorption kinetics can be readily applied to much wider sensing platforms based on 2D nanomaterials.

Molecular sensing using monolayer floating gate, fully depleted SOI MOSFET acting as an exponential transducer.

PubMed

Takulapalli, Bharath R

2010-02-23

Field-effect transistor-based chemical sensors fall into two broad categories based on the principle of signal transduction-chemiresistor or Schottky-type devices and MOSFET or inversion-type devices. In this paper, we report a new inversion-type device concept-fully depleted exponentially coupled (FDEC) sensor, using molecular monolayer floating gate fully depleted silicon on insulator (SOI) MOSFET. Molecular binding at the chemical-sensitive surface lowers the threshold voltage of the device inversion channel due to a unique capacitive charge-coupling mechanism involving interface defect states, causing an exponential increase in the inversion channel current. This response of the device is in opposite direction when compared to typical MOSFET-type sensors, wherein inversion current decreases in a conventional n-channel sensor device upon addition of negative charge to the chemical-sensitive device surface. The new sensor architecture enables ultrahigh sensitivity along with extraordinary selectivity. We propose the new sensor concept with the aid of analytical equations and present results from our experiments in liquid phase and gas phase to demonstrate the new principle of signal transduction. We present data from numerical simulations to further support our theory.

Low-Power, Chip-Scale, Carbon Dioxide Gas Sensors for Spacesuit Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rani, Asha; Shi, Chen; Thomson, Brian; Debnath, Ratan; Wen, Boamei; Motayed, Abhishek; Chullen, Cinda

2018-01-01

N5 Sensors, Inc. through a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract award has been developing ultra-small, low-power carbon dioxide (CO2) gas sensors, suited for monitoring CO2 levels inside NASA spacesuits. Due to the unique environmental conditions within the spacesuits, such as high humidity, large temperature swings, and operating pressure swings, measurement of key gases relevant to astronaut's safety and health such as(CO2), is quite challenging. Conventional non-dispersive infrared absorption based CO2 sensors present challenges inside the spacesuits due to size, weight, and power constraints, along with the ability to sense CO2 in a high humidity environment. Unique chip-scale, nanoengineered chemiresistive gas-sensing architecture has been developed for this application, which can be operated in a typical space-suite environmental conditions. Unique design combining the selective adsorption properties of the nanophotocatalytic clusters of metal-oxides and metals, provides selective detection of CO2 in high relative humidity conditions. All electronic design provides a compact and low-power solution, which can be implemented for multipoint detection of CO2 inside the spacesuits. This paper will describe the sensor architecture, development of new photocatalytic material for better sensor response, and advanced structure for better sensitivity and shorter response times.

Properties of a weakly ionized NO gas sensor based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Jingyuan; Zhang, Yong, E-mail: zhyong@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Pan, Zhigang

2015-08-31

Nitric oxide NO is one of the major targets for environmental monitoring, but the existing NO sensors are limited by their low sensitivity and narrow test range. Here, a NO gas sensor employing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was fabricated, and its properties in NO–N{sub 2} mixture were investigated from both emission and ionization. The current I{sub e} passing through the nanotubes cathode was found to decrease with increasing NO concentration and increase linearly in different slopes with the extracting voltage U{sub e}. It is shown that the Schottky barrier of the MWCNTs calculated by I{sub e} increased with NO concentrationmore » due to the adsorption of NO gas, which restrained the electron emission and consequently weakened the ionization. The positive ion currents I{sub c} passing through the collecting electrode at different voltages of U{sub e} were found to monotonically decrease with increasing NO concentration, which was induced by both of the reduced electron emission and the consumption of the two excited metastable states N{sub 2}(A{sup 3}∑{sub u}{sup +}) and N{sub 2}(a′{sup 1}∑{sub u}{sup −}) by NO. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity at the low temperature of 30 °C. The calculated conductivity was found to be able to take place of I{sub c} for NO detection in a wide voltage range of 80–150 V U{sub e}.« less

High-performance, room-temperature, and no-humidity-impact ammonia sensor based on heterogeneous nickel oxide and zinc oxide nanocrystals.

PubMed

Wang, Jian; Yang, Pan; Wei, Xiaowei

2015-02-18

NiO nanocones decorated with ZnO nanothorns on NiO foil substrates are shown to be an ammonia sensor with excellent comprehensive performance, which could, in real-time, detect and monitor NH3 in the surrounding environment. Gas-sensing measurements indicate that assembling nanocones decorated with nanothorns on NiO foil substrate is an effective strategy for simultaneously promoting the stability, reproducibility, and sensitivity of the sensor, because the NiO foil substrate as a whole can quickly and stably transfer electrons between the gas molecules and the sensing materials and the large specific surface area of both nanocones and nanothorns provide good accessibility of the gas molecules to the sensing materials. Moreover, p-type NiO, with majority charge carriers of holes, has higher binding affinity for the electron-donating ammonia, resulting in a significant increase in selectivity toward NH3 over other organic gases. Compared with the NiO nanowires and pure NiO nanocones, the heterogeneous NiO nanocones/ZnO nanothorns exhibit less dependence on the temperature and humidity in response/recovery speed and sensitivity of sensing NH3. Our investigation indicates that two factors are responsible for reducing the dependence on the gas sensing characteristics under various environmental conditions. One is that the n-type ZnO nanothorns growing on the surface of nanocones, with majority charge carriers of electrons, speed up adsorption and desorption of gas molecules. The other is that the abundant cone-shaped and thornlike superstructures on the substrate are favorable for constructing a hydrophobic surface, which prevents the gas sensing material from being wetted.

DFT study of adsorption behavior of NO, CO, NO2, and NH3 molecules on graphene-like BC3: A search for highly sensitive molecular sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehdi Aghaei, Sadegh; Monshi, M. M.; Torres, I.; Zeidi, S. M. J.; Calizo, I.

2018-01-01

The adsorption behaviors of toxic gas molecules (NO, CO, NO2, and NH3) on the graphene-like boron carbide (BC3) are investigated using first-principle density functional theory. The graphene-like BC3 monolayer is a semiconductor with a band gap of 0.733 eV. It is discovered that all the above gas molecules are chemisorbed on the BC3 sheet while they retain their molecular forms. It is also revealed that the NO2 gas molecule could be dissociated into NO and O species through the adsorption process. The amounts of charge transfer upon adsorption of CO and NH3 gas molecules on the BC3 are found to be small. The band gap changes in BC3 as a result of interactions with CO and NH3 are only 4.63% and 16.7%, indicating that the BC3-based sensor has a low and moderate sensitivity to CO and NH3, respectively. Contrariwise, upon adsorption of NO or NO2 on the BC3, significant charges are transferred from the molecules to the BC3 sheet, causing a semiconductor-metal and semiconductor-p type semiconductor transition. Our study suggests that the BC3-based sensor has a high potential for NO and NO2 detection due to the significant conductance changes, moderate adsorption energy, and short recovery time. More excitingly, the BC3 is a likely catalyst for dissociation of the NO2 gas molecule.

P-type sub-tungsten-oxide based urchin-like nanostructure for superior room temperature alcohol sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Yao; Yin, Mingli; Yan, Junqing; Liu, Shengzhong (Frank)

2018-05-01

Nanowires assembled sub-WO3 urchin-like nanostructures have been fabricated via a solvothermal method. The detailed structure and morphology features were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results reveal that the individual nanowires are grown along the [0 0 1] direction, and assembled together to form an urchin-like nanostructure. Sensing performance of the sub-WO3 was investigated toward alcohol vapor. At room temperature, the sensor devices based on the WO3-x exhibit significantly higher sensitivity comparing to that of the stoichiometric WO3. The superior sensing performance of this WO3-x sensor is ascribed to the large specific surface area and abundant oxygen vacancies. The obvious enhancement of the gas sensing property can be very useful for the future design and development of room temperature gas sensors for other volatile organic compounds.

Microfabrication of Silicon/Ceramic Hybrid Cantilever for Scanning Probe Microscope and Sensor Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakayama, Takayuki; Kobayashi, Toshinari; Iwata, Nobuya; Tanifuji, Nozomi; Matsuda, Yasuaki; Yamada, Syoji

2003-12-01

We present here new cantilevers for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and sensor applications, which consist of silicon cantilever beam and ceramic pedestal. Silicon is only used to make cantilever beams and tips. Precision-machinery-made ceramics replaces silicon pedestal part. The ceramics was recently developed by Sumikin Ceramics and Quarts Co., Ltd. and can be machined precisely with end mill cutting. Many silicon beams are fabricated at once from a wafer using batch fabrication method. Therefore, SPM probes can be fabricated in high productivity and in low cost. These beams are transferred with transfer technique and are bonded on the ceramic pedestal with epoxy glue. We demonstrate here atomic force microscope (AFM) and gas sensor applications of the hybrid structure. In a gas sensor application, the ends of the cantilever are selectively modified with zeolite crystals as a sensitive layer. The bonding strength is enough for each application.

High Accuracy Acoustic Relative Humidity Measurement in Duct Flow with Air

PubMed Central

van Schaik, Wilhelm; Grooten, Mart; Wernaart, Twan; van der Geld, Cees

2010-01-01

An acoustic relative humidity sensor for air-steam mixtures in duct flow is designed and tested. Theory, construction, calibration, considerations on dynamic response and results are presented. The measurement device is capable of measuring line averaged values of gas velocity, temperature and relative humidity (RH) instantaneously, by applying two ultrasonic transducers and an array of four temperature sensors. Measurement ranges are: gas velocity of 0–12 m/s with an error of ±0.13 m/s, temperature 0–100 °C with an error of ±0.07 °C and relative humidity 0–100% with accuracy better than 2 % RH above 50 °C. Main advantage over conventional humidity sensors is the high sensitivity at high RH at temperatures exceeding 50 °C, with accuracy increasing with increasing temperature. The sensors are non-intrusive and resist highly humid environments. PMID:22163610

High accuracy acoustic relative humidity measurement in duct flow with air.

PubMed

van Schaik, Wilhelm; Grooten, Mart; Wernaart, Twan; van der Geld, Cees

2010-01-01

An acoustic relative humidity sensor for air-steam mixtures in duct flow is designed and tested. Theory, construction, calibration, considerations on dynamic response and results are presented. The measurement device is capable of measuring line averaged values of gas velocity, temperature and relative humidity (RH) instantaneously, by applying two ultrasonic transducers and an array of four temperature sensors. Measurement ranges are: gas velocity of 0-12 m/s with an error of ± 0.13 m/s, temperature 0-100 °C with an error of ± 0.07 °C and relative humidity 0-100% with accuracy better than 2 % RH above 50 °C. Main advantage over conventional humidity sensors is the high sensitivity at high RH at temperatures exceeding 50 °C, with accuracy increasing with increasing temperature. The sensors are non-intrusive and resist highly humid environments.

Nanofiber-net-binary structured membranes for highly sensitive detection of trace HCl gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xianfeng; Wang, Jialin; Si, Yang; Ding, Bin; Yu, Jianyong; Sun, Gang; Luo, Wenjing; Zheng, Gang

2012-11-01

This work describes the detection of trace hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas through analyses of the resonance frequency signal from quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors coated with polyaniline (PANI) functionalized polyamide 6 (PA 6) (PANI-PA 6) nanofiber-net-binary (NNB) structured membranes. The PA 6 NNB substrate comprising nanofibers and spider-web-like nano-nets fabricated by a versatile electro-spinning/netting (ESN) process offered an ideal interface for the uniform PANI functionalization and enhanced sensing performance. Benefiting from the large specific surface area, high porosity, and strong adhesive force to the QCM electrode of the PANI-PA 6 NNB membranes, the developed HCl-selective sensors exhibited a rapid response, good reproducibility and stability, and low detection limit (7 ppb) at room temperature. Additionally, the PANI-PA 6 NNB sensing membranes presented visible color changes upon cycled exposure to HCl and ammonia, suggesting their potential application in the development of colorimetric sensors. The PANI-PA 6 NNB coated QCM sensors are considered to be a promising candidate for trace HCl gas detection in practical applications.

Development of new metal-oxide thin film gas sensors by conductivity and workfunction correlations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doll, T.; Mutschall, D.; Winter, R.

1996-12-31

Commercially available semiconducting gas sensors usually are based on tin dioxide, although there is a wide variety of metal oxides with capabilities for gas sensing. This derives from restrictions to predict the gas sensitivity under real conditions from clean surface measurements or sensitivity deviations due to different preparation techniques. Hence tedious sample variation and testing is required. It is known that beside pure conductivity studies, combined methods provide a better distinction between preparation-dependent and general chemical effects. For samples with a polycrystalline grain size smaller than the Debye length of the material the correlation of workfunction responses A{Delta}{Phi} to conductivitymore » measurements with the relation {Delta}{Phi} {approximately} log G is one powerful combination. In the present paper, this comparison is shown for nickel oxide layers prepared in two different ways: Reactive sputtering, which leads to partly polycrystalline layers of grain sizes of about 5 to 15 nm according to, and amorphous nickel oxide prepared by ozone enhanced molecular beam epitaxy. The work function and conductivity responses to H{sub 2}, NH{sub 3}, NO{sub 2}, SO{sub 2}, CO and Cl{sub 2} in synthetic air show a very similar sensitivity for the amorphous and the polycrystalline nickeloxides which indicates that the above mentioned correlation range includes amorphous states, too.« less

Zinc phthalocyanine nanowires based flexible sensor for room temperature Cl2 detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, Pooja; Saini, Rajan; Singh, Rajinder; Mahajan, A.; Bedi, R. K.; Aswal, D. K.; Debnath, A. K.

2018-04-01

We have fabricated highly sensitive and Cl2 selective flexible sensor by depositing solution processed zinc phthalocyanine nanowires onto the flexible PET substrate and studied its Cl2 sensing characteristics in Cl2 concentration range 5-1500 ppb. The flexible sensor has a minimum detection limit as low as 5 ppb of Cl2 and response as high as 550% within 10 seconds. Interestingly, the sensor exhibited enhanced and faster response kinetics under bending conditions. The gas sensing mechanism of sensor has been discussed on the basis of XPS and Raman spectroscopic studies which revealed that zinc ions were the preferred sites for Cl2 interactions.

Indirect Gas Species Monitoring Using Tunable Diode Lasers

DOEpatents

Von Drasek, William A.; Saucedo, Victor M.

2005-02-22

A method for indirect gas species monitoring based on measurements of selected gas species is disclosed. In situ absorption measurements of combustion species are used for process control and optimization. The gas species accessible by near or mid-IR techniques are limited to species that absorb in this spectral region. The absorption strength is selected to be strong enough for the required sensitivity and is selected to be isolated from neighboring absorption transitions. By coupling the gas measurement with a software sensor gas, species not accessible from the near or mid-IR absorption measurement can be predicted.

MEMS device for mass market gas and chemical sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinkade, Brian R.; Daly, James T.; Johnson, Edward A.

2000-08-01

Gas and chemical sensors are used in many applications. Industrial health and safety monitors allow companies to meet OSHA requirements by detecting harmful levels of toxic or combustible gases. Vehicle emissions are tested during annual inspections. Blood alcohol breathalizers are used by law enforcement. Refrigerant leak detection ensures that the Earth's ozone layer is not being compromised. Industrial combustion emissions are also monitored to minimize pollution. Heating and ventilation systems watch for high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) to trigger an increase in fresh air exchange. Carbon monoxide detectors are used in homes to prevent poisoning from poor combustion ventilation. Anesthesia gases are monitored during a patients operation. The current economic reality is that two groups of gas sensor technologies are competing in two distinct existing market segments - affordable (less reliable) chemical reaction sensors for consumer markets and reliable (expensive) infrared (IR) spectroscopic sensors for industrial, laboratory, and medical instrumentation markets. Presently high volume mass-market applications are limited to CO detectros and on-board automotive emissions sensors. Due to reliability problems with electrochemical sensor-based CO detectors there is a hesitancy to apply these sensors in other high volume applications. Applications such as: natural gas leak detection, non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, home indoor air quality, personal/portable air quality monitors, home fire/burnt cooking detector, and home food spoilage detectors need a sensor that is a small, efficient, accurate, sensitive, reliable, and inexpensive. Connecting an array of these next generation gas sensors to wireless networks that are starting to proliferate today creates many other applications. Asthmatics could preview the air quality of their destinations as they venture out into the day. HVAC systems could determine if fresh air intake was actually better than the air in the house. Internet grocery delivery services could check for spoiled foods in their clients' refrigerators. City emissions regulators could monitor the various emissions sources throughout the area from their desk to predict how many pollution vouchers they will need to trade in the next week. We describe a new component architecture for mass-market sensors based on silicon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. MEMS are micrometer-scale devices that can be fabricated as discrete devices or large arrays, using the technology of integrated circuit manufacturing. These new photonic bandgap and MEMS fabricataion technologies will simplify the component technology to provide high-quality gas and chemical sensors at consumer prices.