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Sample records for nanotube gas sensor

  1. Novel gas sensors based on carbon nanotube networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayago, I; Aleixandre, M; Horrillo, M C; Fernandez, M J; Gutierrez, J; Terrado, E; Lafuente, E; Maser, W K; Benito, A M; Martinez, M T; Munoz, E; Urriolabeitia, E P; Navarro, R

    2008-01-01

    Novel resistive gas sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) networks as the active sensing element nave been investigated for gas detection. SWNTs networks were fabricated by airbrushing on alumina substrates. As-produced- and Pd-decorated SWNT materials were used as sensitive layers for the detection of NO 2 and H 2 , respectively. The studied sensors provided good response to NO 2 and H 2 as well as excellent selectivities to interfering gases.

  2. A Review of Carbon Nanotubes-Based Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun Wang

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Gas sensors have attracted intensive research interest due to the demand of sensitive, fast response, and stable sensors for industry, environmental monitoring, biomedicine, and so forth. The development of nanotechnology has created huge potential to build highly sensitive, low cost, portable sensors with low power consumption. The extremely high surface-to-volume ratio and hollow structure of nanomaterials is ideal for the adsorption of gas molecules. Particularly, the advent of carbon nanotubes (CNTs has fuelled the inventions of gas sensors that exploit CNTs' unique geometry, morphology, and material properties. Upon exposure to certain gases, the changes in CNTs' properties can be detected by various methods. Therefore, CNTs-based gas sensors and their mechanisms have been widely studied recently. In this paper, a broad but yet in-depth survey of current CNTs-based gas sensing technology is presented. Both experimental works and theoretical simulations are reviewed. The design, fabrication, and the sensing mechanisms of the CNTs-based gas sensors are discussed. The challenges and perspectives of the research are also addressed in this review.

  3. Carbon-Nanotube-Based Chemical Gas Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaul, Arunpama B.

    2010-01-01

    Conventional thermal conductivity gauges (e.g. Pirani gauges) lend themselves to applications such as leak detectors, or in gas chromatographs for identifying various gas species. However, these conventional gauges are physically large, operate at high power, and have a slow response time. A single-walled carbon-nanotube (SWNT)-based chemical sensing gauge relies on differences in thermal conductance of the respective gases surrounding the CNT as it is voltage-biased, as a means for chemical identification. Such a sensor provides benefits of significantly reduced size and compactness, fast response time, low-power operation, and inexpensive manufacturing since it can be batch-fabricated using Si integrated-circuit (IC) process technology.

  4. Gas Sensors Based on Locally Heated Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with Metal Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Savu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We report the design and fabrication of microreactors and sensors based on metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes. Titanium adhesion layers and gold films were sputtered onto Si/SiO2 substrates for obtaining the electrical contacts. The gold layers were electrochemically thickened until 1 μm and the electrodes were patterned using photolithography and wet chemical etching. Before the dielectrophoretic deposition of the nanotubes, a gap 1 μm wide and 5 μm deep was milled in the middle of the metallic line by focused ion beam, allowing the fabrication of sensors based on suspended nanotubes bridging the electrodes. Subsequently, the sputtering technique was used for decorating the nanotubes with metallic nanoparticles. In order to test the as-obtained sensors, microreactors (100 μL volume were machined from a single Kovar piece, being equipped with electrical connections and 1/4′′ Swagelok-compatible gas inlet and outlets for controlling the atmosphere in the testing chamber. The sensors, electrically connected to the contact pins by wire-bonding, were tested in the 10−5 to 10−2 W working power interval using oxygen as target gas. The small chamber volume allowed the measurement of fast characteristic times (response/recovery, with the sensors showing good sensitivity.

  5. Nanomolecular gas sensor architectures based on functionalized carbon nanotubes for vapor detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hines, Deon; Zhang, Henan; Rümmeli, Mark H.; Adebimpe, David; Akins, Daniel L.

    2015-05-01

    There is enormous interest in detection of simple & complex odors by mean of electronic instrumentation. Specifically, our work focuses on creating derivatized-nanotube-based "electronic noses" for the detection and identification of gases, and other materials. We have grafted single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with an array of electron-donating and electron withdrawing moieties and have characterized some of the physicochemical properties of the modified nanotubes. Gas sensing elements have been fabricated by spin coating the functionalized nanotubes onto interdigitated electrodes (IDE's), creating an array of sensors. Each element in the sensor array can contain a different functionalized matrix. This facilitates the construction of chemical sensor arrays with high selectivity and sensitivity; a methodology that mimics the mammalian olfactory system. Exposure of these coated IDEs to organic vapors and the successful classification of the data obtained under DC monitoring, indicate that the system can function as gas sensors of high repeatability and selectivity for a wide range of common analytes. Since the detection of explosive materials is also of concern in this research, our next phase focuses on explosives such as, TNT, RDX, and Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP). Sensor data from individual detection are assessed on their own individual merits, after which they are amalgamated and reclassified to present each vapor as unique data point on a 2-dimensional map and with minimum loss of information. This approach can assist the nation's need for a technology to defeat IEDs through the use of methods that detect unique chemical signatures associated with explosive molecules and byproducts.

  6. Breakdown voltage reduction by field emission in multi-walled carbon nanotubes based ionization gas sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saheed, M. Shuaib M.; Muti Mohamed, Norani; Arif Burhanudin, Zainal, E-mail: zainabh@petronas.com.my [Centre of Innovative Nanostructures and Nanodevices, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak (Malaysia)

    2014-03-24

    Ionization gas sensors using vertically aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are demonstrated. The sharp tips of the nanotubes generate large non-uniform electric fields at relatively low applied voltage. The enhancement of the electric field results in field emission of electrons that dominates the breakdown mechanism in gas sensor with gap spacing below 14 μm. More than 90% reduction in breakdown voltage is observed for sensors with MWCNT and 7 μm gap spacing. Transition of breakdown mechanism, dominated by avalanche electrons to field emission electrons, as decreasing gap spacing is also observed and discussed.

  7. Role of the Material Electrodes on Resistive Behaviour of Carbon Nanotube-Based Gas Sensors for H2S Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Lucci

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Miniaturized gas-sensing devices that use single-walled carbon nanotubes as active material have been fabricated using two different electrode materials, namely, Au/Cr and NbN. The resistive sensors have been assembled aligning by dielectrophoresis the nanotube bundles between 40 μm spaced Au/Cr or NbN multifinger electrodes. The sensing devices have been tested for detection of the H2S gas, in the concentration range 10–100 ppm, using N2 as carrier gas. No resistance changes were detected using sensor fabricated with NbN electrodes, whereas the response of the sensor fabricated with Au/Cr electrodes was characterized by an increase of the resistance upon gas exposure. The main performances of this sensor are a detection limit for H2S of 10 ppm and a recovery time of few minutes. The present study suggests that the mechanism involved in H2S gas detection is not a direct charge transfer between molecules and nanotubes. The hypothesis is that detection occurs through passivation of the Au surfaces by H2S molecules and modification of the contact resistance at the Au/nanotube interface.

  8. Detection of gas atoms with carbon nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  9. Modeling nanoscale gas sensors under realistic conditions: Computational screening of metal-doped carbon nanotubes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    García Lastra, Juan Maria; Mowbray, Duncan; Thygesen, Kristian Sommer

    2010-01-01

    We use computational screening to systematically investigate the use of transition-metal-doped carbon nanotubes for chemical-gas sensing. For a set of relevant target molecules (CO, NH3, and H2S) and the main components of air (N2, O2, and H2O), we calculate the binding energy and change in condu......We use computational screening to systematically investigate the use of transition-metal-doped carbon nanotubes for chemical-gas sensing. For a set of relevant target molecules (CO, NH3, and H2S) and the main components of air (N2, O2, and H2O), we calculate the binding energy and change...... the change in the nanotube resistance per doping site as a function of the target molecule concentration assuming charge transport in the diffusive regime. Our analysis points to Ni-doped nanotubes as candidates for CO sensors working under typical atmospheric conditions....

  10. Enhancement of NH3 gas sensitivity at room temperature by carbon nanotube-based sensor coated with Co nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Lich Quang; Phan, Pho Quoc; Duong, Huyen Ngoc; Nguyen, Chien Duc; Nguyen, Lam Huu

    2013-01-30

    Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film has been fabricated onto Pt-patterned alumina substrates using the chemical vapor deposition method for NH(3) gas sensing applications. The MWCNT-based sensor is sensitive to NH(3) gas at room temperature. Nanoclusters of Co catalysts have been sputtered on the surface of the MWCNT film to enhance gas sensitivity with respect to unfunctionalized CNT films. The gas sensitivity of Co-functionalized MWCNT-based gas sensors is thus significantly improved. The sensor exhibits good repeatability and high selectivity towards NH(3), compared with alcohol and LPG.

  11. An analytical approach to evaluate the performance of graphene and carbon nanotubes for NH3 gas sensor applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elnaz Akbari

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Carbon, in its variety of allotropes, especially graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs, holds great potential for applications in variety of sensors because of dangling π-bonds that can react with chemical elements. In spite of their excellent features, carbon nanotubes (CNTs and graphene have not been fully exploited in the development of the nanoelectronic industry mainly because of poor understanding of the band structure of these allotropes. A mathematical model is proposed with a clear purpose to acquire an analytical understanding of the field-effect-transistor (FET based gas detection mechanism. The conductance change in the CNT/graphene channel resulting from the chemical reaction between the gas and channel surface molecules is emphasized. NH3 has been used as the prototype gas to be detected by the nanosensor and the corresponding current–voltage (I–V characteristics of the FET-based sensor are studied. A graphene-based gas sensor model is also developed. The results from graphene and CNT models are compared with the experimental data. A satisfactory agreement, within the uncertainties of the experiments, is obtained. Graphene-based gas sensor exhibits higher conductivity compared to that of CNT-based counterpart for similar ambient conditions.

  12. An analytical approach to evaluate the performance of graphene and carbon nanotubes for NH3 gas sensor applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akbari, Elnaz; Arora, Vijay Kumar; Enzevaee, Aria; Ahmadi, Mohamad T; Saeidmanesh, Mehdi; Khaledian, Mohsen; Karimi, Hediyeh; Yusof, Rubiyah

    2014-01-01

    Carbon, in its variety of allotropes, especially graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), holds great potential for applications in variety of sensors because of dangling π-bonds that can react with chemical elements. In spite of their excellent features, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene have not been fully exploited in the development of the nanoelectronic industry mainly because of poor understanding of the band structure of these allotropes. A mathematical model is proposed with a clear purpose to acquire an analytical understanding of the field-effect-transistor (FET) based gas detection mechanism. The conductance change in the CNT/graphene channel resulting from the chemical reaction between the gas and channel surface molecules is emphasized. NH3 has been used as the prototype gas to be detected by the nanosensor and the corresponding current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the FET-based sensor are studied. A graphene-based gas sensor model is also developed. The results from graphene and CNT models are compared with the experimental data. A satisfactory agreement, within the uncertainties of the experiments, is obtained. Graphene-based gas sensor exhibits higher conductivity compared to that of CNT-based counterpart for similar ambient conditions.

  13. Enhancement of NH3 Gas Sensitivity at Room Temperature by Carbon Nanotube-Based Sensor Coated with Co Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lich Quang Nguyen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT film has been fabricated onto Pt-patterned alumina substrates using the chemical vapor deposition method for NH3 gas sensing applications. The MWCNT-based sensor is sensitive to NH3 gas at room temperature. Nanoclusters of Co catalysts have been sputtered on the surface of the MWCNT film to enhance gas sensitivity with respect to unfunctionalized CNT films. The gas sensitivity of Co-functionalized MWCNT-based gas sensors is thus significantly improved. The sensor exhibits good repeatability and high selectivity towards NH3, compared with alcohol and LPG.

  14. Carbon nanotubes: Sensor properties. A review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irina V. Zaporotskova

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Recent publications dealing with dealing with the fabrication of gas and electrochemical biosensors based on carbon nanotubes have been reviewed. Experimental and theoretical data on the working principles of nanotubes have been presented. The main regularities of the structure, energy parameters and sensor properties of modified semiconducting systems on the basis of cabon nanotubes have been studied by analyzing the mechanisms of nanotubule interaction with functional groups (including carboxyl and amino groups, metallic nanoparticles and polymers leading to the formation of chemically active sensors. The possibility of using boundary modified nanotubes for the identification of metals has been discussed. Simulation results have been reported for the interaction of nanotubes boundary modified by –СООН and –NH2 groups with atoms and ions of potassium, sodium and lithium. The simulation has been carried out using the molecular cluster model and the MNDO and DFT calculation methods. Sensors fabricated using this technology will find wide application for the detection of metallic atoms and their ions included in salts and alkali.

  15. Fabrication of a gas sensor array with micro-wells for VOCs gas sensing based on polymer/carbon nanotube thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Guangzhong; Xie, Tao; Zhu, Tao; Jiang, Yadong; Tai, Huiling

    2014-08-01

    In this paper, gas sensor array with micro-well was designed and prepared by Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. The micro-well and interdigital electrodes of sensor array were prepared using photolithography process, reactive ion etching (RIE) process, wet etching and conventional vacuum evaporation. In the manufacture process of the gas sensor array, KOH wet etching process was mainly discussed. The optimum etching processing parameters were as follows: 30 wt% KOH solution at 80 °C, a cooling back-flow device and a magnetic stirrer. The multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-polyethyleneoxide (PEO) and MWNTs-Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) composite films were utilized as sensitive layers to test gas-sensing properties. Response performances of MWCNTs- PEO and MWNTs-PVP composite films to toluene vapor and methanol vapor at room temperature were investigated. The results revealed that the sensor array showed a larger sensitivity to toluene vapor than to methanol vapor. In addition, the sensing mechanisms were studied as well.

  16. Gas sensors for ammonia detection based on polyaniline-coated multi-wall carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Lifang; Jia Yong; Meng Fanli; Li Minqiang; Liu Jinhuai

    2009-01-01

    Polyaniline-coated multi-wall carbon nanotubes (PANI-coated MWNTs) were prepared by in situ polymerization method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to characterize the as-prepared PANI-coated MWNTs. Obtained results indicated that PANI was uniformly coated on MWNTs, and the thickness of the coatings can be controlled by changing the weight ratios of aniline monomer and MWNTs in the polymerization process. Sensors were fabricated by spin-coating onto pre-patterned electrodes, and ammonia gas sensing properties of the as-prepared PANI-coated MWNTs were studied. The results showed a good response and reproducibility towards ammonia at room temperature. In addition, PANI-coated MWNTs exhibited a linear response to ammonia in the range of 0.2-15 ppm. The effects of the thickness of PANI coatings on the gas sensing properties were also investigated in detail. The results suggest a potential application of PANI-coated MWNTs in gas sensor for detecting ammonia.

  17. A photovoltaic self-powered gas sensor based on a single-walled carbon nanotube/Si heterojunction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, L; Li, G H; Wang, Y; Wang, Y Y; Li, T; Zhang, T; Qin, S J

    2017-12-07

    We present a novel photovoltaic self-powered gas sensor based on a p-type single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) and n-type silicon (n-Si) heterojunction. The energy from visible light suffices to drive the device owing to a built-in electric field (BEF) induced by the differences between the Fermi levels of SWNTs and n-Si.

  18. A Room-temperature Hydrogen Gas Sensor Using Palladium-decorated Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Si Heterojunction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Gang DU

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available We report a room-temperature (RT hydrogen gas (H2 sensor based on palladium-decorated single-walled carbon nanotube/Si (Pd-SWNTs/Si heterojunction. The current-voltage (I-V curves of the Pd-SWNTs/Si heterojunction in different concentrations of H2 were measured. The experimental results reveal that the Pd-SWNTs/Si heterojunction exhibits high H2 response. After exposure to 0.02 %, 0.05 %, and 0.1 % H2 for 10 min, the resistance of the heterojunction increases dramatically. The response is 122 %, 269 % and 457 %, respectively. A simple interfacial theory is used to understand the gas sensitivity results. This approach is a step toward future CNTs-based gas sensors for practical application.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.2.12925

  19. A computational analysis of the carbon-nanotube-based resonant-circuit sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grujicic, M.; Cao, G.; Roy, W.N.

    2004-01-01

    Available values for the molecular polarizability and the dipole moment and the computed adsorption energies to single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for a couple of polar (NH 3 and CO) and several non-polar (He, Ar, N 2 and O 2 ) gases are used to help establish a correlation between the adsorbed gas-induced changes in the dielectric constant of the SWCNTs (the sensing material) and the resulting reduction in the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit-based chemical gas sensors. It is found that simple weighting methods which neglect the effect of changes in the electronic structure of the carbon nanotubes during adsorption are generally incapable of predicting correctly the changes in the effective dielectric constant of the carbon nanotubes. Conversely, the use of adsorption-induced changes in the band gap of the carbon nanotubes and a relationship between the band gap and the dielectric constant is found to be a promising approach for assessing the adsorption-induced changes in the effective dielectric constant of the carbon nanotubes and for establishment of their effect on the resonant frequency of resonator-based chemical gas sensors

  20. Mechanical Drawing of Gas Sensors on Paper

    OpenAIRE

    Esser, Birgit; Mirica, Katherine; Weis, Jonathan Garrett; Schnorr, Jan Markus; Swager, Timothy Manning

    2012-01-01

    This communication describes a simple solvent-free method for fabricating chemoresistive gas sensors on the surface of paper. The method involves mechanical abrasion of compressed powders of sensing materials on the fibers of cellulose. We illustrate this approach by depositing conductive layers of several forms of carbon (e.g., single-walled carbon nanotubes [SWCNTs], multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and graphite) on the surface of different papers (Figure 1, Figure S1). The resulting sensors ...

  1. A new cataluminescence gas sensor based on SiO2 nanotubes fabricated using carbon nanotube templates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yali; Cao, Xiaoan; Li, Jinwen; Chen, Nan

    2011-05-15

    In the present work, two morphologies of SiO(2) nanomaterials (SiO(2) nanotubes and nanoparticles) have been successfully synthesized in supercritical fluids (SCFs). The cataluminescence (CTL) features of the two SiO(2) nanomaterials to some common harmful gases were compared, and the results showed that SiO(2) nanotubes had better CTL sensing characteristic to some common harmful gases. The SiO(2) nanotubes not only had uniform size and shape with a high specific surface area, but also exhibited superior sensitivity and selectivity to ethyl acetate vapor. Using the SiO(2) nanotubes as sensing material, a CTL sensor for ethyl acetate vapor was developed. The proposed sensor showed high sensitivity and specificity to ethyl acetate at optimal temperature of 293°C, a wavelength of 425 nm and a flow rate of 345 mL/min. With a detection limit of 0.85 ppm, the linear range of CTL intensity versus concentrations of ethyl acetate vapor was 2.0-2000 ppm. None or only very low levels of interference were observed while the foreign substances such as acetone, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, formaldehyde, ammonia, ethanol, benzene and methanol were passing through the sensor. This method allows rapid determination of gaseous ethyl acetate at workshop. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Carbon Nanotube-Based Chemical Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  3. Gas sensing with gold-decorated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mudimela, Prasantha R; Scardamaglia, Mattia; González-León, Oriol; Reckinger, Nicolas; Snyders, Rony; Llobet, Eduard; Bittencourt, Carla; Colomer, Jean-François

    2014-01-01

    Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes of different lengths (150, 300, 500 µm) synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition and decorated with gold nanoparticles were investigated as gas sensitive materials for detecting nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at room temperature. Gold nanoparticles of about 6 nm in diameter were sputtered on the top surface of the carbon nanotube forests to enhance the sensitivity to the pollutant gas. We showed that the sensing response to nitrogen dioxide depends on the nanotube length. The optimum was found to be 300 µm for getting the higher response. When the background humidity level was changed from dry to 50% relative humidity, an increase in the response to NO2 was observed for all the sensors, regardless of the nanotube length.

  4. Gas sensing with gold-decorated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prasantha R. Mudimela

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes of different lengths (150, 300, 500 µm synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition and decorated with gold nanoparticles were investigated as gas sensitive materials for detecting nitrogen dioxide (NO2 at room temperature. Gold nanoparticles of about 6 nm in diameter were sputtered on the top surface of the carbon nanotube forests to enhance the sensitivity to the pollutant gas. We showed that the sensing response to nitrogen dioxide depends on the nanotube length. The optimum was found to be 300 µm for getting the higher response. When the background humidity level was changed from dry to 50% relative humidity, an increase in the response to NO2 was observed for all the sensors, regardless of the nanotube length.

  5. Superior selectivity and sensitivity of blue phosphorus nanotubes in gas sensing applications

    KAUST Repository

    Montes Muñoz, Enrique

    2017-05-23

    On the basis of first principles calculations, we study the adsorption of CO, CO2, NH3, NO, and NO2 molecules on armchair and zigzag blue phosphorus nanotubes. The nanotubes are found to surpass the gas sensing performance of other one-dimensional materials, in particular Si nanowires and carbon nanotubes, and two-dimensional materials, in particular graphene, phosphorene, and MoS2. Investigation of the energetics of the gas adsorption and induced charge transfers indicates that blue phosphorus nanotubes are highly sensitive to N-based molecules, in particular NO2, due to covalent bonding. The current–voltage characteristics of nanotubes connected to Au electrodes are derived by the non-equilibrium Green\\'s function formalism and used to quantitatively evaluate the change in resistivity upon gas adsorption. The observed selectivity and sensitivity properties make blue phosphorus nanotubes superior gas sensors for a wide range of applications.

  6. Focused Ion Beam Nanopatterning for Carbon Nanotube Ropes Based Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vera LA FERRARA

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Focused Ion Beam (FIB technology has been used to realize electrode patterns for contacting Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs ropes for chemical gas sensor applications. Two types of transducers, based on a single rope and on bundles, have been realized starting from silicon/Si3N4 substrate. Electrical behaviour, at room temperature, in toxic gas environments, has been investigated and compared to evaluate contribution of a single rope based sensor respect to bundles one. For all the devices, upon exposure to NO2 and NH3, the conductance has been found to increase or decrease respectively. Conductance signal is stronger for sensor based on bundles, but it also evident that response time in NO2 is faster for device based on a single rope. FIB technology offers, then, the possibility to contact easily a single sensitive nanowire, as carbon nanotube rope.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  8. A Ni-Doped Carbon Nanotube Sensor for Detecting Oil-Dissolved Gases in Transformers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  9. Application of Conductive Carbon Nanotube Fibers and Composites: Gas Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-01

    changes in Raman spectroscopy data when single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are immersed in various liquids, including common organics (12). In...Resistance -- (82) 2007 Su H2O MWNT PMMA, KOH Gas Impedance -- (83) 2011 Tang H2O MWNT PI Gas Resistance -- (84) 2003 Wang H2O2, NADH SWNT

  10. A Ni-Doped Carbon Nanotube Sensor for Detecting Oil-Dissolved Gases in Transformers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jia Lu

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  11. A Review: Carbon Nanotube-Based Piezoresistive Strain Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waris Obitayo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The use of carbon nanotubes for piezoresistive strain sensors has acquired significant attention due to its unique electromechanical properties. In this comprehensive review paper, we discussed some important aspects of carbon nanotubes for strain sensing at both the nanoscale and macroscale. Carbon nanotubes undergo changes in their band structures when subjected to mechanical deformations. This phenomenon makes them applicable for strain sensing applications. This paper signifies the type of carbon nanotubes best suitable for piezoresistive strain sensors. The electrical resistivities of carbon nanotube thin film increase linearly with strain, making it an ideal material for a piezoresistive strain sensor. Carbon nanotube composite films, which are usually fabricated by mixing small amounts of single-walled or multiwalled carbon nanotubes with selected polymers, have shown promising characteristics of piezoresistive strain sensors. Studies also show that carbon nanotubes display a stable and predictable voltage response as a function of temperature.

  12. Kinetic response study in chemiresistive gas sensor based on carbon nanotube surface functionalized with substituted phthalocyanines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Anshul Kumar; Kumar, Pankaj; Saini, Rajan; Bedi, R. K.; Mahajan, Aman

    2016-05-01

    A kind of hybrid material is prepared by functionalizing multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH) with substituted copper phthalocyanine and the formation of CuPcOC8/MWCNTs-COOH hybrid is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that on the surface of nanotubes substituted CuPcOC8 derivatives has been successfully anchored through π-π stacking interaction. The gas sensing application of the fabricated hybrid material is tested upon exposure to different hazardous species, specifically NO2, NO, Cl2 and NH3 at operating temperature of 150˚C. It has been demonstrated that for Cl2 minimum detection limit of CuPcOC8/MWCNTs-COOH hybrid is 100 ppb. The response of hybrid sensor is found to be increased with increase in the concentration of Cl2.

  13. Effects of Operating Temperature on Droplet Casting of Flexible Polymer/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composite Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-Chern Chiou

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This study examined the performance of a flexible polymer/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT composite sensor array as a function of operating temperature. The response magnitudes of a cost-effective flexible gas sensor array equipped with a heater were measured with respect to five different operating temperatures (room temperature, 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C via impedance spectrum measurement and sensing response experiments. The selected polymers that were droplet cast to coat a MWCNT conductive layer to form two-layer polymer/MWCNT composite sensing films included ethyl cellulose (EC, polyethylene oxide (PEO, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP. Electrical characterization of impedance, sensing response magnitude, and scanning electron microscope (SEM morphology of each type of polymer/MWCNT composite film was performed at different operating temperatures. With respect to ethanol, the response magnitude of the sensor decreased with increasing operating temperatures. The results indicated that the higher operating temperature could reduce the response and influence the sensitivity of the polymer/MWCNT gas sensor array. The morphology of polymer/MWCNT composite films revealed that there were changes in the porous film after volatile organic compound (VOC testing.

  14. CMOS Integrated Carbon Nanotube Sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez, M. S.; Lerner, B.; Boselli, A.; Lamagna, A.; Obregon, P. D. Pareja; Julian, P. M.; Mandolesi, P. S.; Buffa, F. A.

    2009-01-01

    Recently carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been gaining their importance as sensors for gases, temperature and chemicals. Advances in fabrication processes simplify the formation of CNT sensor on silicon substrate. We have integrated single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with complementary metal oxide semiconductor process (CMOS) to produce a chip sensor system. The sensor prototype was designed and fabricated using a 0.30 um CMOS process. The main advantage is that the device has a voltage amplifier so the electrical measure can be taken and amplified inside the sensor. When the conductance of the SWCNTs varies in response to media changes, this is observed as a variation in the output tension accordingly.

  15. Kinetic response study in chemiresistive gas sensor based on carbon nanotube surface functionalized with substituted phthalocyanines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharma, Anshul Kumar; Saini, Rajan; Bedi, R. K.; Mahajan, Aman, E-mail: dramanmahajan@yahoo.co.in, E-mail: anshulsharma.phy@gmail.com [Material Science Laboratory, Department of Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005 (India); Kumar, Pankaj [Department of Applied Sciences, I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, Kapurthala 144601 (India)

    2016-05-06

    A kind of hybrid material is prepared by functionalizing multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH) with substituted copper phthalocyanine and the formation of CuPcOC{sub 8}/MWCNTs-COOH hybrid is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that on the surface of nanotubes substituted CuPcOC{sub 8} derivatives has been successfully anchored through π-π stacking interaction. The gas sensing application of the fabricated hybrid material is tested upon exposure to different hazardous species, specifically NO{sub 2}, NO, Cl{sub 2} and NH{sub 3} at operating temperature of 150°C. It has been demonstrated that for Cl{sub 2} minimum detection limit of CuPcOC{sub 8}/MWCNTs-COOH hybrid is 100 ppb. The response of hybrid sensor is found to be increased with increase in the concentration of Cl{sub 2}.

  16. Fabrication of a carbon nanotube-based gas sensor using dielectrophoresis and its application for ammonia detection by impedance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suehiro, Junya; Zhou Guangbin; Hara, Masanori

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes a new method for fabricating a gas sensor composed of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using dielectrophoresis (DEP). MWCNTs dispersed in ethanol were trapped and enriched in an interdigitated microelectrode gap under the action of a positive DEP force that drove the MWCNTs to a higher electric field region. During the trapping of MWCNTs, the electrode impedance varied as the number of MWCNTs bridging the electrode gap increased. After the DEP process, the ethanol was evaporated and the microelectrode retaining the MWCNTs was exposed to ammonia (NH 3 ) gas while the electrode impedance was monitored. It was found that the electrode impedance was altered by ppm-levels of ammonia at room temperature. The ammonia exposure decreased the sensor conductance, while the capacitance increased. The sensor showed a reversible response with a time constant of a few minutes. The conductance change was proportional to ammonia concentration below 10 ppm and then gradually saturated at higher concentrations. Effects of the number of trapped MWCNTs on sensor response were also discussed. (rapid communication)

  17. Fabrication of Titania Nanotubes for Gas Sensing Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dzilal, A. A.; Muti, M. N.; John, O. D.

    2010-03-01

    Detection of hydrogen is needed for industrial process control and medical applications where presence of hydrogen indicates different type of health problems. Titanium dioxide nanotube structure is chosen as an active component in the gas sensor because of its highly sensitive electrical resistance to hydrogen over a wide range of concentrations. The objective of the work is to fabricate good quality titania nanotubes suitable for hydrogen sensing applications. The fabrication method used is anodizing method. The anodizing parameters namely the voltage, time duration, concentration of hydrofluoric acid in water, separation between the electrodes and the ambient temperature are varied accordingly to find the optimum anodizing conditions for production of good quality titania nanotubes. The highly ordered porous titania nanotubes produced by this method are in tabular shape and have good uniformity and alignment over large areas. From the investigation done, certain set of anodizing parameters have been found to produce good quality titania nanotubes with diameter ranges from 47 nm to 94 nm.

  18. Recognizing Physisorption and Chemisorption in Carbon Nanotubes Gas Sensors by Double Exponential Fitting of the Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvi, Andrea; Ferrari, Alberto; Sbuelz, Luca; Goldoni, Andrea; Modesti, Silvio

    2016-05-19

    Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been grown in situ on a SiO 2 substrate and used as gas sensors. For this purpose, the voltage response of the CNTs as a function of time has been used to detect H 2 and CO 2 at various concentrations by supplying a constant current to the system. The analysis of both adsorptions and desorptions curves has revealed two different exponential behaviours for each curve. The study of the characteristic times, obtained from the fitting of the data, has allowed us to identify separately chemisorption and physisorption processes on the CNTs.

  19. Carbon nanotube temperature and pressure sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ivanov, Ilia N.; Geohegan, David B.

    2017-09-12

    The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of measuring pressure or temperature using a sensor including a sensor element composed of a plurality of carbon nanotubes. In one example, the resistance of the plurality of carbon nanotubes is measured in response to the application of temperature or pressure. The changes in resistance are then recorded and correlated to temperature or pressure. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for independent measurement of pressure or temperature using the sensors disclosed herein.

  20. Carbon nanotube temperature and pressure sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanov, Ilia N; Geohegan, David Bruce

    2013-10-29

    The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of measuring pressure or temperature using a sensor including a sensor element composed of a plurality of carbon nanotubes. In one example, the resistance of the plurality of carbon nanotubes is measured in response to the application of temperature or pressure. The changes in resistance are then recorded and correlated to temperature or pressure. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for independent measurement of pressure or temperature using the sensors disclosed herein.

  1. Carbon nanotube-based ethanol sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brahim, Sean; Colbern, Steve; Gump, Robert; Moser, Alex; Grigorian, Leonid

    2009-01-01

    Sensors containing metal-carbon nanotube (CNT) hybrid materials as the active sensing layer were demonstrated for ethanol vapor detection at room temperature. The metal-CNT hybrid materials were synthesized by infiltrating single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with the transition metals Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Pd or Pt. Each sensor was prepared by drop-casting dilute dispersions of a metal-CNT hybrid onto quartz substrate electrodes and the impedimetric responses to varying ethanol concentration were recorded. Upon exposure to ethanol vapor, the ac impedance (Z') of the sensors was found to decrease to different extents. The sensor containing pristine CNT material was virtually non-responsive at low ethanol concentrations (<50 ppm). In contrast, all metal-CNT hybrid sensors showed extremely high sensitivity to trace ethanol levels with 100-fold or more gains in sensitivity relative to the starting SWNT sensor. All hybrid sensors, with the exception of Ni filled CNT, exhibited significantly larger sensor responses to ethanol vapor up to 250 ppm compared to the starting SWNT sensor.

  2. A tripolar-electrode ionization gas sensor using a carbon nanotube cathode for NO detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Hui; Li, Kun; Li, Quanfu

    2018-06-01

    Nitric oxide accounts for more than 95% of the total NO X emission from power plants, which is a major air pollutant. Therefore, it is imperative to accurately detect NO for environmental protection. A tripolar-electrode ionization sensor with a carbon nanotube (CNT) cathode is proposed for NO detection. The non-self-sustaining discharge state and the tripolar-electrode configuration ensures a long nanotube life, which ensures a good stability and fast response of the sensor. Experimental results demonstrate that the tripolar-electrode ionization sensor with 120 µm separations has an intrinsic monotonously decreasing response to NO and exhibits a fast response time of 7 s and recovery time of 8 s. More consumption of the two metastable states N2(A3  ∑  u +) and N2(aʹ1  ∑  u +) of N2 with the increasing of NO concentration is responsible for this. The tripolar-electrode ionization sensor also shows excellent long-term stability of at least one month due to the long CNT life. In addition, the weak effect of SO2 introduction on NO response indicates a good selectivity of the sensor to NO.

  3. A carbon nanotube-based pressure sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karimov, Kh S; Saleem, M; Khan, Adam; Qasuria, T A; Mateen, A; Karieva, Z M

    2011-01-01

    In this study, a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based Al/CNT/Al pressure sensor was designed, fabricated and investigated. The sensor was fabricated by depositing CNTs on an adhesive elastic polymer tape and placing this in an elastic casing. The diameter of multiwalled nanotubes varied between 10 and 30 nm. The nominal thickness of the CNT layers in the sensors was in the range ∼300-430 μm. The inter-electrode distance (length) and the width of the surface-type sensors were in the ranges 4-6 and 3-4 mm, respectively. The dc resistance of the sensors decreased 3-4 times as the pressure was increased up to 17 kN m -2 . The resistance-pressure relationships were simulated.

  4. A DFT study of SO2 and H2S gas adsorption on Au-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xiaoxing; Dai, Ziqiang; Chen, Qinchuan; Tang, Ju

    2014-01-01

    Intrinsic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) show limited toxic gas detection, thus, we need to develop a method to fabricate a novel CNT sensor that has good sensitivity. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) was applied to determine the adsorption behavior of Au-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes (Au-SWCNTs) to SO 2 and H 2 S. The calculated results show that Au-SWCNTs have a high sensitivity to SO 2 and H 2 S. When SO 2 adsorbs on the surface of the nanotube, a large number of electrons transfer from the Au-SWCNT to SO 2 , which results in a decrease in the frontier orbital energy gap and an increase in electrical conductivity. On the other hand, when H 2 S adsorbs on the surface of the nanotube, the electrons transfer from H 2 S to the Au-SWCNT, the frontier orbital energy gap increases, and the electrical conductivity decreases. Thus, SO 2 and H 2 S could be detected by Au-SWCNTs. This conclusion is useful for the development of CNT-based gas sensors and provides a theoretical basis to fabricate Au-SWCNT-based gas sensors. (papers)

  5. Enhanced spectroscopic gas sensors using in-situ grown carbon nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Luca, A.; Cole, M. T.; Milne, W. I. [Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom); Hopper, R. H.; Boual, S.; Ali, S. Z. [Cambridge CMOS Sensors Ltd., Deanland House, 160 Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0DL (United Kingdom); Warner, J. H.; Robertson, A. R. [Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom); Udrea, F. [Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom); Cambridge CMOS Sensors Ltd., Deanland House, 160 Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0DL (United Kingdom); Gardner, J. W. [School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

    2015-05-11

    In this letter, we present a fully complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible microelectromechanical system thermopile infrared (IR) detector employing vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) as an advanced nano-engineered radiation absorbing material. The detector was fabricated using a commercial silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process with tungsten metallization, comprising a silicon thermopile and a tungsten resistive micro-heater, both embedded within a dielectric membrane formed by a deep-reactive ion etch following CMOS processing. In-situ CNT growth on the device was achieved by direct thermal chemical vapour deposition using the integrated micro-heater as a micro-reactor. The growth of the CNT absorption layer was verified through scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The functional effects of the nanostructured ad-layer were assessed by comparing CNT-coated thermopiles to uncoated thermopiles. Fourier transform IR spectroscopy showed that the radiation absorbing properties of the CNT adlayer significantly enhanced the absorptivity, compared with the uncoated thermopile, across the IR spectrum (3 μm–15.5 μm). This led to a four-fold amplification of the detected infrared signal (4.26 μm) in a CO{sub 2} non-dispersive-IR gas sensor system. The presence of the CNT layer was shown not to degrade the robustness of the uncoated devices, whilst the 50% modulation depth of the detector was only marginally reduced by 1.5 Hz. Moreover, we find that the 50% normalized absorption angular profile is subsequently more collimated by 8°. Our results demonstrate the viability of a CNT-based SOI CMOS IR sensor for low cost air quality monitoring.

  6. Powerful greenhouse gas nitrous oxide adsorption onto intrinsic and Pd doped Single walled carbon nanotube

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoosefian, Mehdi

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Investigation of the adsorption of Nitrous oxide on SWCNT and Pd/SWCNT. • Nitrous oxide adsorbed on Pd/SWCNT system demonstrates a strong adsorption. • The Pd/SWCNT is potential sensor for the Nitrous oxide gaseous molecule detection. - Abstract: Density functional studies on the adsorption behavior of nitrous oxide (N_2O) onto intrinsic carbon nanotube (CNT) and Pd-doped (5,5) single-walled carbon nanotube (Pd-CNT) have been reported. Introduction of Pd dopant facilitates in adsorption of N_2O on the otherwise inert nanotube as observed from the adsorption energies and global reactivity descriptor values. Among three adsorption features of N_2O onto CNT, the horizontal adsorption with E_a_d_s = −0.16 eV exhibits higher adsorption energy. On the other hand the Pd-CNT exhibit strong affinity toward gas molecule and would cause a huge increase in N_2O adsorption energies. Chemical and electronic properties of CNT and Pd-CNT in the absence and presence of N_2O were investigated. Adsorption of N_2O gas molecule would affect the electronic conductance of Pd-CNT that can serve as a signal of gas sensors and the increased energy gaps demonstrate the formation of more stable systems. The atoms in molecules (AIM) theory and the natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations were performed to get more details about the nature and charge transfers in intermolecular interactions within adsorption process. As a final point, the density of states (DOSs) calculations was achieved to confirm previous results. According to our results, intrinsic CNT cannot act as a suitable adsorbent while Pd-CNT can be introduced as novel detectable complex for designing high sensitive, fast response and high efficient carbon nanotube based gas sensor to detect N_2O gas as an air pollutant. Our results could provide helpful information for the design and fabrication of the N_2O sensors.

  7. Powerful greenhouse gas nitrous oxide adsorption onto intrinsic and Pd doped Single walled carbon nanotube

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoosefian, Mehdi, E-mail: m.yoosefian@kgut.ac.ir

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Investigation of the adsorption of Nitrous oxide on SWCNT and Pd/SWCNT. • Nitrous oxide adsorbed on Pd/SWCNT system demonstrates a strong adsorption. • The Pd/SWCNT is potential sensor for the Nitrous oxide gaseous molecule detection. - Abstract: Density functional studies on the adsorption behavior of nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) onto intrinsic carbon nanotube (CNT) and Pd-doped (5,5) single-walled carbon nanotube (Pd-CNT) have been reported. Introduction of Pd dopant facilitates in adsorption of N{sub 2}O on the otherwise inert nanotube as observed from the adsorption energies and global reactivity descriptor values. Among three adsorption features of N{sub 2}O onto CNT, the horizontal adsorption with E{sub ads} = −0.16 eV exhibits higher adsorption energy. On the other hand the Pd-CNT exhibit strong affinity toward gas molecule and would cause a huge increase in N{sub 2}O adsorption energies. Chemical and electronic properties of CNT and Pd-CNT in the absence and presence of N{sub 2}O were investigated. Adsorption of N{sub 2}O gas molecule would affect the electronic conductance of Pd-CNT that can serve as a signal of gas sensors and the increased energy gaps demonstrate the formation of more stable systems. The atoms in molecules (AIM) theory and the natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations were performed to get more details about the nature and charge transfers in intermolecular interactions within adsorption process. As a final point, the density of states (DOSs) calculations was achieved to confirm previous results. According to our results, intrinsic CNT cannot act as a suitable adsorbent while Pd-CNT can be introduced as novel detectable complex for designing high sensitive, fast response and high efficient carbon nanotube based gas sensor to detect N{sub 2}O gas as an air pollutant. Our results could provide helpful information for the design and fabrication of the N{sub 2}O sensors.

  8. Single Walled Carbon Nanotube Based Air Pocket Encapsulated Ultraviolet Sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sun Jin; Han, Jin-Woo; Kim, Beomseok; Meyyappan, M

    2017-11-22

    Carbon nanotube (CNT) is a promising candidate as a sensor material for the sensitive detection of gases/vapors, biomarkers, and even some radiation, as all these external variables affect the resistance and other properties of nanotubes, which forms the basis for sensing. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation does not impact the nanotube properties given the substantial mismatch of bandgaps and therefore, CNTs have never been considered for UV sensing, unlike the popular ZnO and other oxide nanwires. It is well-known that UV assists the adsorption/desorption characteristics of oxygen on carbon nanotubes, which changes the nanotube resistance. Here, we demonstrate a novel sensor structure encapsulated with an air pocket, where the confined air is responsible for the UV sensing mechanism and assures sensor stability and repeatability over time. In addition to the protection from any contamination, the air pocket encapsulated sensor offers negligible baseline drift and fast recovery compared to previously reported sensors. The air pocket isolated from the outside environment can act as a stationary oxygen reservoir, resulting in consistent sensor characteristics. Furthermore, this sensor can be used even in liquid environments.

  9. Accelerating Gas Adsorption on 3D Percolating Carbon Nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  10. Miniaturized pH Sensors Based on Zinc Oxide Nanotubes/Nanorods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magnus Willander

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available ZnO nanotubes and nanorods grown on gold thin film were used to create pH sensor devices. The developed ZnO nanotube and nanorod pH sensors display good reproducibility, repeatability and long-term stability and exhibit a pH-dependent electrochemical potential difference versus an Ag/AgCl reference electrode over a large dynamic pH range. We found the ZnO nanotubes provide sensitivity as high as twice that of the ZnO nanorods, which can be ascribed to the fact that small dimensional ZnO nanotubes have a higher level of surface and subsurface oxygen vacancies and provide a larger effective surface area with higher surface-to-volume ratio as compared to ZnO nanorods, thus affording the ZnO nanotube pH sensor a higher sensitivity. Experimental results indicate ZnO nanotubes can be used in pH sensor applications with improved performance. Moreover, the ZnO nanotube arrays may find potential application as a novel material for measurements of intracellular biochemical species within single living cells.

  11. Carbon nanotube based pressure sensor for flexible electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    So, Hye-Mi; Sim, Jin Woo; Kwon, Jinhyeong; Yun, Jongju; Baik, Seunghyun; Chang, Won Seok

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • The electromechanical change of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. • Fabrication of CNT field-effect transistor on flexible substrate. • CNT based FET integrated active pressure sensor. • The integrated device yields an increase in the source-drain current under pressure. - Abstract: A pressure sensor was developed based on an arrangement of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) supported by a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The VACNTs embedded in the PDMS matrix were structurally flexible and provided repeated sensing operation due to the high elasticities of both the polymer and the carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The conductance increased in the presence of a loading pressure, which compressed the material and induced contact between neighboring CNTs, thereby producing a dense current path and better CNT/metal contacts. To achieve flexible functional electronics, VACNTs based pressure sensor was integrated with field-effect transistor, which is fabricated using sprayed semiconducting carbon nanotubes on plastic substrate

  12. Carbon nanotube based pressure sensor for flexible electronics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    So, Hye-Mi [Department of Nano Mechanics, Nanomechanical Systems Research Division, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea, Republic of); Sim, Jin Woo [Advanced Nano Technology Ltd., Seoul 132-710 (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Jinhyeong [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Jongju; Baik, Seunghyun [SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Department of Energy Science and School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Won Seok, E-mail: paul@kimm.re.kr [Department of Nano Mechanics, Nanomechanical Systems Research Division, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-12-15

    Highlights: • The electromechanical change of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. • Fabrication of CNT field-effect transistor on flexible substrate. • CNT based FET integrated active pressure sensor. • The integrated device yields an increase in the source-drain current under pressure. - Abstract: A pressure sensor was developed based on an arrangement of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) supported by a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The VACNTs embedded in the PDMS matrix were structurally flexible and provided repeated sensing operation due to the high elasticities of both the polymer and the carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The conductance increased in the presence of a loading pressure, which compressed the material and induced contact between neighboring CNTs, thereby producing a dense current path and better CNT/metal contacts. To achieve flexible functional electronics, VACNTs based pressure sensor was integrated with field-effect transistor, which is fabricated using sprayed semiconducting carbon nanotubes on plastic substrate.

  13. Application of carbon nanotubes flexible strain sensor in smart textiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiong CHENG

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Smart textiles have not only the necessary functions of daily wear, but also the intelligence. The focus of the current textile materials research is the selection of flexible material. For flexible materials, carbon material is one of the ideal materials for preparing flexible strain gauges. The application of flexible strain sensor prepared by carbon nanotubes as a flexible material in smart textiles is the research content. The research status of carbon nanotubes flexible strain sensor is introduced from the aspects of the structure, properties and application. The characteristics and functions of flexible strain gages prepared with carbon nanotube fibers and carbon nanotube films as flexible materials are discussed in terms of selection, preparation method, performance test and application. At the same time, the advantages and disadvantages of the flexible strain sensor of carbon nanotubes are reviewed from the aspects of preparation difficulty, production cost and practical application effect. High sensitivity with high strain will be a key research direction for carbon nanotube flexible strain sensors.

  14. Multi-wall carbon nanotube networks as potential resistive gas sensors for organic vapor detection

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Slobodian, P.; Říha, Pavel; Lengálová, A.; Svoboda, P.; Sáha, P.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 49, č. 7 (2011), s. 2499-2507 ISSN 0008-6223 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : carbon nanotube network * KMnO 4 oxidation * electrical resistance * organic vapor detection * adsorption /desorption cycles Subject RIV: JB - Sensors, Measurment, Regulation Impact factor: 5.378, year: 2011

  15. Ultrasensitive NO2 gas sensors using hybrid heterojunctions of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and on-chip grown SnO2 nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyet, Quan Thi Minh; Van Duy, Nguyen; Manh Hung, Chu; Hoa, Nguyen Duc; Van Hieu, Nguyen

    2018-04-01

    Hybrid heterojunction devices are designed for ultrahigh response to NO2 toxic gas. The devices were constructed by assembling multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on a microelectrode chip bridged bare Pt-electrode and a Pt-electrode with pre-grown SnO2 nanowires (NWs). All heterojunction devices were realized using different types of MWCNTs, which exhibit ultrahigh response to sub-ppm NO2 gas at 50 °C operated in the reverse bias mode. The response to 1 ppm NO2 gas reaches 11300, which is about 100 times higher than that of a back-to-back heterojunction device fabricated from SnO2 NWs and MWCNTs. In addition, the present device exhibits an ultralow detection limit of about 0.68 ppt. The modulation of trap-assisted tunneling current under reverse bias is the main gas-sensing mechanism. This principle device presents a concept for developing gas sensors made of a hybrid between semiconductor metal oxide NWs and CNTs.

  16. Surface Modification of Carbon Nanotube Networked Films with Au Nanoclusters for Enhanced NO2 Gas Sensing Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Penza

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT films have been deposited by using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD system onto alumina substrates, provided with 6 nm thick cobalt (Co growth catalyst for remarkably improved NO2 gas sensing, at working temperature in the range of 100–250∘C. Functionalization of the MWCNTs with nanoclusters of gold (Au sputtering has been performed to modify the surface of carbon nanotube networked films for enhanced and specific NO2 gas detection up to sub-ppm level. It is demonstrated that the NO2 gas sensitivity of the MWCNT-based sensors depends on Au-loading used as surface-catalyst. The gas response of MWCNT-based chemiresistor is attributed to p-type conductivity in the Au-modified semiconducting MWCNTs with a very good short-term repeatability and faster recovery. The sensor temperature of maximum NO2 sensitivity of the Au-functionalized MWCNTs is found to decrease with increasing Au-loading on their surface, and continuous gas monitoring at ppb level of NO2 is effectively performed with Au-modified MWCNT chemiresistors.

  17. Electrochemically decorated ZnTe nanodots on single-walled carbon nanotubes for room-temperature NO2 sensor application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Donguk; Park, Ki-Moon; Shanmugam, Rajakumar; Yoo, Bongyoung

    2014-11-01

    A gas sensor with ZnTe nanodot-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is demonstrated for NO2 detection at room temperature. ZnTe nanodots are electrochemically deposited in an aqueous solution containing ZnSO4, TeO2 and citrate. A deposition potential range of ZnTe formation of -0.65 to -0.9 V is determined by cyclic voltammetry, and an intermetallic ZnTe compound is formed at above 50 degrees C bath. SWCNT-based sensors show the highly sensitive response down to 1 ppm NO2 gas at room temperature. In particular, the sensitivity of ZnTe nanodot-modified SWCNTs is increased by 6 times as compared to that of pristine SWCNT sensors. A selectivity test of SWCNT-ZnTe nanodots sensors is carried out with ammonia gas (NH3) and methanol vapor (MeOH), and the result confirms an excellent selectivity to NO2 gas.

  18. Gas Sensor

    KAUST Repository

    Luebke, Ryan

    2015-01-22

    A gas sensor using a metal organic framework material can be fully integrated with related circuitry on a single substrate. In an on-chip application, the gas sensor can result in an area-efficient fully integrated gas sensor solution. In one aspect, a gas sensor can include a first gas sensing region including a first pair of electrodes, and a first gas sensitive material proximate to the first pair of electrodes, wherein the first gas sensitive material includes a first metal organic framework material.

  19. Gas Sensor

    KAUST Repository

    Luebke, Ryan; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Omran, Hesham; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Shekhah, Osama; Salama, Khaled N.

    2015-01-01

    A gas sensor using a metal organic framework material can be fully integrated with related circuitry on a single substrate. In an on-chip application, the gas sensor can result in an area-efficient fully integrated gas sensor solution. In one aspect, a gas sensor can include a first gas sensing region including a first pair of electrodes, and a first gas sensitive material proximate to the first pair of electrodes, wherein the first gas sensitive material includes a first metal organic framework material.

  20. Carbon Nanotube Composite SHM Sensor using Additive Manufacturing

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose to develop a piezoelectric sensors made of carbon nanotube and lead zirconium titanate (PZT) nanopower dispersed in a polymer matrix. These sensors will...

  1. Alcohol detection using carbon nanotubes acoustic and optical sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penza, M.; Cassano, G.; Aversa, P.; Antolini, F.; Cusano, A.; Cutolo, A.; Giordano, M.; Nicolais, L.

    2004-09-01

    We demonstrate the integration of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) onto quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and standard silica optical fiber (SOF) sensor for alcohol detection at room temperature. Different transducing mechanisms have been used in order to outline the sensing properties of this class of nanomaterials, in particular the attention has been focused on two key parameters in sensing applications: mass and refractive index changes due to gas absorption. Here, Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films consisting of tangled bundles of SWCNTs without surfactant molecules have been successfully transferred onto QCM and SOF. Mass-sensitive 10MHz QCM SWCNTs sensor exhibited a resonant frequency decreasing upon tested alcohols exposure; also the normalized optoelectronic signal (λ=1310nm) of the refractive index-sensitive SOF SWCNTs sensor was found to decrease upon alcohols ambient. Highly sensitive, repeatable and reversible responses of the QCM and SOF SWCNTs sensors indicate that the detection, at room temperature, in a wide mmHg vapor pressures range of alcohols and potentially other volatile organic compounds is feasible.

  2. Simulation and fabrication of carbon nanotubes field emission pressure sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian Kaiyou; Chen Ting; Yan Bingyong; Lin Yangkui; Xu Dong; Sun Zhuo; Cai Bingchu

    2006-01-01

    A novel field emission pressure sensor has been achieved utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the electron source. The sensor consists of the anode sensing film fabricated by wet etching process and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) cathode in the micro-vacuum chamber. MWNTs on the silicon substrate were grown by thermal CVD. The prototype pressure sensor has a measured sensitivity of about 0.17-0.77 nA/Pa (101-550 KPa). The work shows the potential use of CNTs-based field-emitter in microsensors, such as accelerometers and tactile sensors

  3. Integrating Metal-Oxide-Decorated CNT Networks with a CMOS Readout in a Gas Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suhwan Kim

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available We have implemented a tin-oxide-decorated carbon nanotube (CNT network gas sensor system on a single die. We have also demonstrated the deposition of metallic tin on the CNT network, its subsequent oxidation in air, and the improvement of the lifetime of the sensors. The fabricated array of CNT sensors contains 128 sensor cells for added redundancy and increased accuracy. The read-out integrated circuit (ROIC was combined with coarse and fine time-to-digital converters to extend its resolution in a power-efficient way. The ROIC is fabricated using a 0.35 µm CMOS process, and the whole sensor system consumes 30 mA at 5 V. The sensor system was successfully tested in the detection of ammonia gas at elevated temperatures.

  4. Controllable synthesis of Co3O4/polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes nanocomposites for CO and NH3 gas sensing at room temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Yufei; Kan, Kan; Song, Wanzhen; Zhang, Guo; Dang, Lifang; Xie, Yu; Shen, Peikang; Li, Li; Shi, Keying

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Co 3 O 4 /polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes composites (CoPCNTs) have been successfully controllable synthesized via hydrothermal method at different temperature. The CoPCNTs sensors exhibited the highest response to CO and NH 3 gases with response time of 4 s and 4.3 s, low detection limit of 5 ppm and 1 ppm at room temperature, respectively. The enhanced gas sensing could be ascribed to the synergistic effect between the tiny size of Co 3 O 4 and good conductivity of carbon nanotubes functionalized by polyethyleneimine. - Highlights: • The CNTs functionalized by polyethyleneimine provided a new functional structural. • The novel 1D structure could capture and migrate electrons quickly. • The Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles liked a snake winding around CNTs. • The gas sensor could work at room temperatures, which suit to practical application. - Abstract: A novel 1D Co 3 O 4 /polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes composites (CoPCNTs) have been successfully synthesized via hydrothermal method at different temperature. The CNTs functionalized by polyethyleneimine (PCNTs) provided a new material with new structural and functional properties. The PCNTs was used as loading guider and electron transfer path. The Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) loaded on the PCNTs surface liked a snake winding around CNTs, and the size was about 5–10 nm. The gas sensing characteristics of the CoPCNTs sensors to carbon monoxide (CO) and ammonia (NH 3 ) were evaluated with different gas concentration. The CoPCNTs sensors grown at 160 °C exhibited the highest response to CO and NH 3 gases with response time of 4 s and 4.3 s at room temperature (RT), respectively. Hence, the approach developed in this work would be important for the low-cost and large-scale production of the CoPCNTs materials with highly promising applications in gas sensors

  5. Methods for Gas Sensing with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaul, Anupama B. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    Methods for gas sensing with single-walled carbon nanotubes are described. The methods comprise biasing at least one carbon nanotube and exposing to a gas environment to detect variation in temperature as an electrical response.

  6. Long-term stability of superhydrophilic oxygen plasma-modified single-walled carbon nanotube network surfaces and the influence on ammonia gas detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Min, Sungjoon [Department of Biomicrosystem Technology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Joonhyub [Department of Control and Instrumentation Engineering, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City 339-770 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Chanwon [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701 (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Joon-Hyung, E-mail: jj1023@chol.com [Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyonggi University, 154-42 Gwanggyosan-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16227 (Korea, Republic of); Min, Nam Ki, E-mail: nkmin@korea.ac.kr [Department of Biomicrosystem Technology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-07-15

    Graphical abstract: Superhydrophilic single-walled carbon nanotube obtained by O{sub 2} plasma treatment voluntarily and non-reversibly reverts to a metastable state. This aerobic aging is an essential process to develop a stable carbon nanotube-based sensor. - Highlights: • Superhydrophilic single-walled carbon nanotube network can be obtained by O{sub 2} plasma-based surface modification. • The modified carbon nanotube surface invariably reverts to a metastable state in a non-reversible manner. • Aerobic aging is essential to stabilize the modified carbon nanotube and the carbon nanotube-based sensing device due to minimized sensor-to-sensor variation. - Abstract: Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) networks are subjected to a low-powered oxygen plasma for the surface modification. Changes in the surface chemical composition and the stability of the plasma-treated SWCNT (p-SWCNT) with aging in air for up to five weeks are studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle analysis. The contact angle decreases from 120° of the untreated hydrophobic SWCNT to 0° for the superhydrophilic p-SWCNT. Similarly, the ratio of oxygen to carbon (O:C) based on the XPS spectra increases from 0.25 to 1.19, indicating an increase in surface energy of the p-SWCNT. The enhanced surface energy is gradually dissipated and the p-SWCNT network loses the superhydrophilic surface property. However, it never revert to the original hydrophobic surface state but to a metastable hydrophilic state. The aging effect on sensitivity of the p-SWCNT network-based ammonia sensor is investigated to show the importance of the aging process for the stabilization of the p-SWCNT. The best sensitivity for monitoring NH{sub 3} gas is observed with the as-prepared p-SWCNT, and the sensitivity decreases as similar as the p-SWCNT loses its hydrophilicity with time goes by. After a large performance degradation during the aging time for about two weeks, the response

  7. Single walled carbon nanotubes functionally adsorbed to biopolymers for use as chemical sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Jr., Alan T.; Gelperin, Alan [Princeton, NJ; Staii, Cristian [Madison, WI

    2011-07-12

    Chemical field effect sensors comprising nanotube field effect devices having biopolymers such as single stranded DNA functionally adsorbed to the nanotubes are provided. Also included are arrays comprising the sensors and methods of using the devices to detect volatile compounds.

  8. Single walled carbon nanotubes with functionally adsorbed biopolymers for use as chemical sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Jr., Alan T

    2013-12-17

    Chemical field effect sensors comprising nanotube field effect devices having biopolymers such as single stranded DNA or RNA functionally adsorbed to the nanotubes are provided. Also included are arrays comprising the sensors and methods of using the devices to detect volatile compounds.

  9. Healable, Transparent, Room-Temperature Electronic Sensors Based on Carbon Nanotube Network-Coated Polyelectrolyte Multilayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Shouli; Sun, Chaozheng; Yan, Hong; Sun, Xiaoming; Zhang, Han; Luo, Liang; Lei, Xiaodong; Wan, Pengbo; Chen, Xiaodong

    2015-11-18

    Transparent and conductive film based electronics have attracted substantial research interest in various wearable and integrated display devices in recent years. The breakdown of transparent electronics prompts the development of transparent electronics integrated with healability. A healable transparent chemical gas sensor device is assembled from layer-by-layer-assembled transparent healable polyelectrolyte multilayer films by developing effective methods to cast transparent carbon nanotube (CNT) networks on healable substrates. The healable CNT network-containing film with transparency and superior network structures on self-healing substrate is obtained by the lateral movement of the underlying self-healing layer to bring the separated areas of the CNT layer back into contact. The as-prepared healable transparent film is assembled into healable transparent chemical gas sensor device for flexible, healable gas sensing at room temperature, due to the 1D confined network structure, relatively high carrier mobility, and large surface-to-volume ratio. The healable transparent chemical gas sensor demonstrates excellent sensing performance, robust healability, reliable flexibility, and good transparency, providing promising opportunities for developing flexible, healable transparent optoelectronic devices with the reduced raw material consumption, decreased maintenance costs, improved lifetime, and robust functional reliability. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Ultrasensitive, Stretchable Strain Sensors Based on Fragmented Carbon Nanotube Papers

    KAUST Repository

    Zhou, Jian; Yu, Hu; Xu, Xuezhu; Han, Fei; Lubineau, Gilles

    2017-01-01

    The development of strain sensors featuring both ultra high sensitivity and high stretchability is still a challenge. We demonstrate that strain sensors based on fragmented single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) paper embedded in poly

  11. pH sensor based on boron nitride nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Q; Bando, Y; Zhao, L; Zhi, C Y; Golberg, D

    2009-10-14

    A submicrometer-sized pH sensor based on biotin-fluorescein-functionalized multiwalled BN nanotubes with anchored Ag nanoparticles is designed. Intrinsic pH-dependent photoluminescence and Raman signals in attached fluorescein molecules enhanced by Ag nanoparticles allow this novel nanohybrid to perform as a practical pH sensor. It is able to work in a submicrometer-sized space. For example, the sensor may determine the environmental pH of sub-units in living cells where a traditional optical fiber sensor fails because of spatial limitations.

  12. pH sensor based on boron nitride nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Q; Bando, Y; Zhao, L; Zhi, C Y; Golberg, D

    2009-01-01

    A submicrometer-sized pH sensor based on biotin-fluorescein-functionalized multiwalled BN nanotubes with anchored Ag nanoparticles is designed. Intrinsic pH-dependent photoluminescence and Raman signals in attached fluorescein molecules enhanced by Ag nanoparticles allow this novel nanohybrid to perform as a practical pH sensor. It is able to work in a submicrometer-sized space. For example, the sensor may determine the environmental pH of sub-units in living cells where a traditional optical fiber sensor fails because of spatial limitations.

  13. Flexible carbon nanotube nanocomposite sensor for multiple physiological parameter monitoring

    KAUST Repository

    Nag, Anindya; Mukhopadhyay, Subhas Chandra; Kosel, Jü rgen

    2016-01-01

    The paper presents the design, development, and fabrication of a flexible and wearable sensor based on carbon nanotube nanocomposite for monitoring specific physiological parameters. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was used as the substrate with a thin layer of a nanocomposite comprising functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and PDMS as electrodes. The sensor patch functionalized on strain-sensitive capacitive sensing from interdigitated electrodes which were patterned with a laser on the nanocomposite layer. The thickness of the electrode layer was optimized regarding strain and conductivity. The sensor patch was connected to a monitoring device from one end and attached to the body on the other for examining purposes. Experimental results show the capability of the sensor patch used to detect respiration and limb movements. This work is a stepping stone of the sensing system to be developed for multiple physiological parameters.

  14. Flexible carbon nanotube nanocomposite sensor for multiple physiological parameter monitoring

    KAUST Repository

    Nag, Anindya

    2016-10-16

    The paper presents the design, development, and fabrication of a flexible and wearable sensor based on carbon nanotube nanocomposite for monitoring specific physiological parameters. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was used as the substrate with a thin layer of a nanocomposite comprising functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and PDMS as electrodes. The sensor patch functionalized on strain-sensitive capacitive sensing from interdigitated electrodes which were patterned with a laser on the nanocomposite layer. The thickness of the electrode layer was optimized regarding strain and conductivity. The sensor patch was connected to a monitoring device from one end and attached to the body on the other for examining purposes. Experimental results show the capability of the sensor patch used to detect respiration and limb movements. This work is a stepping stone of the sensing system to be developed for multiple physiological parameters.

  15. DNA-decorated carbon-nanotube-based chemical sensors on complementary metal oxide semiconductor circuitry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Chia-Ling; Yang, Chih-Feng; Dokmeci, Mehmet R; Agarwal, Vinay; Sonkusale, Sameer; Kim, Taehoon; Busnaina, Ahmed; Chen, Michelle

    2010-01-01

    We present integration of single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA)-decorated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) onto complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry as nanoscale chemical sensors. SWNTs were assembled onto CMOS circuitry via a low voltage dielectrophoretic (DEP) process. Besides, bare SWNTs are reported to be sensitive to various chemicals, and functionalization of SWNTs with biomolecular complexes further enhances the sensing specificity and sensitivity. After decorating ss-DNA on SWNTs, we have found that the sensing response of the gas sensor was enhanced (up to ∼ 300% and ∼ 250% for methanol vapor and isopropanol alcohol vapor, respectively) compared with bare SWNTs. The SWNTs coupled with ss-DNA and their integration on CMOS circuitry demonstrates a step towards realizing ultra-sensitive electronic nose applications.

  16. Pt-modified carbon nanotube networked layers for enhanced gas microsensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Penza, M.; Rossi, R.; Alvisi, M.; Suriano, D.; Serra, E.

    2011-01-01

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) networked films have been grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology onto miniaturized low-cost alumina substrates, coated by nanosized Co-catalyst for growing CNTs, to perform chemical detection of toxic gasses (NO 2 and NH 3 ), greenhouse gasses (CO 2 and CH 4 ) and domestic safety gasses (CO and C 2 H 5 OH) at an operating sensor temperature of 120 °C. The morphology and structure of the CNTs networks have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A dense network of bundles of multiple tubes consisting of multi-walled carbon nanostructures appears with a maximum length of 1–5 μm and single-tube diameter varying in the range of 5–40 nm. Surface modifications of the CNTs networks with sputtered Platinum (Pt) nanoclusters, at tuned loading of 8, 15 and 30 nm, provide higher sensitivity for significantly enhanced gas detection compared to un-decorated CNTs. This could be caused by a spillover of the targeted gas molecules onto Pt-catalyst surface with a chemical gating into CNTs layers. The measured electrical conductance of the functionalized CNTs upon exposures of a given oxidizing and reducing gas is modulated by a charge transfer model with p-type semiconducting characteristics. The effect of activated carbons as chemical filters to reduce the influence of the domestic interfering alcohols on CO gas detection has been studied. Functionalized CNT gas sensors exhibited better performances compared to unmodified CNTs, making them highly promising candidates for functional applications of gas control and alarms.

  17. Flexible Transparent Films Based on Nanocomposite Networks of Polyaniline and Carbon Nanotubes for High-Performance Gas Sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Pengbo; Wen, Xuemei; Sun, Chaozheng; Chandran, Bevita K; Zhang, Han; Sun, Xiaoming; Chen, Xiaodong

    2015-10-28

    A flexible, transparent, chemical gas sensor is assembled from a transparent conducting film of carbon nanotube (CNT) networks that are coated with hierarchically nanostructured polyaniline (PANI) nanorods. The nanocomposite film is synthesized by in-situ, chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in a functional multiwalled CNT (FMWCNT) suspension and is simultaneously deposited onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. An as-prepared flexible transparent chemical gas sensor exhibits excellent transparency of 85.0% at 550 nm using the PANI/FMWCNT nanocomposite film prepared over a reaction time of 8 h. The sensor also shows good flexibility, without any obvious decrease in performance after 500 bending/extending cycles, demonstrating high-performance, portable gas sensing at room temperature. This superior performance could be attributed to the improved electron transport and collection due to the CNTs, resulting in reliable and efficient sensing, as well as the high surface-to-volume ratio of the hierarchically nanostructured composites. The excellent transparency, improved sensing performance, and superior flexibility of the device, may enable the integration of this simple, low-cost, gas sensor into handheld flexible transparent electronic circuitry and optoelectronic devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. A Flexible and Highly Sensitive Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor Based on Micropatterned Films Coated with Carbon Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jia-lin Yao

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Excellent flexibility, high sensitivity, and low consumption are essential characteristics in flexible microtube pressure sensing occasion, for example, implantable medical devices, industrial pipeline, and microfluidic chip. This paper reports a flexible, highly sensitive, and ultrathin piezoresistive pressure sensor for fluid pressure sensing, whose sensing element is micropatterned films with conductive carbon nanotube layer. The flexible pressure sensor, the thickness of which is 40 ± 10 μm, could be economically fabricated by using biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS. Experimental results show that the flexible pressure sensor has high sensitivity (0.047 kPa−1 in gas sensing and 5.6 × 10−3 kPa−1 in liquid sensing and low consumption (<180 μW, and the sensor could be used to measure the pressure in curved microtubes.

  19. Controllable synthesis of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes nanocomposites for CO and NH{sub 3} gas sensing at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Yufei [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Kan, Kan [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Institute of Advanced Technology, Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150000 (China); Song, Wanzhen; Zhang, Guo; Dang, Lifang [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Xie, Yu [Department of Materials Chemistry, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063 (China); Shen, Peikang [Department of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Li, Li, E-mail: llwjjhlju@sina.cn [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering Process & Technology for High-efficiency Conversion, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Shi, Keying, E-mail: shikeying2008@163.com [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China)

    2015-08-05

    Graphical abstract: Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes composites (CoPCNTs) have been successfully controllable synthesized via hydrothermal method at different temperature. The CoPCNTs sensors exhibited the highest response to CO and NH{sub 3} gases with response time of 4 s and 4.3 s, low detection limit of 5 ppm and 1 ppm at room temperature, respectively. The enhanced gas sensing could be ascribed to the synergistic effect between the tiny size of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and good conductivity of carbon nanotubes functionalized by polyethyleneimine. - Highlights: • The CNTs functionalized by polyethyleneimine provided a new functional structural. • The novel 1D structure could capture and migrate electrons quickly. • The Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles liked a snake winding around CNTs. • The gas sensor could work at room temperatures, which suit to practical application. - Abstract: A novel 1D Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes composites (CoPCNTs) have been successfully synthesized via hydrothermal method at different temperature. The CNTs functionalized by polyethyleneimine (PCNTs) provided a new material with new structural and functional properties. The PCNTs was used as loading guider and electron transfer path. The Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles (NPs) loaded on the PCNTs surface liked a snake winding around CNTs, and the size was about 5–10 nm. The gas sensing characteristics of the CoPCNTs sensors to carbon monoxide (CO) and ammonia (NH{sub 3}) were evaluated with different gas concentration. The CoPCNTs sensors grown at 160 °C exhibited the highest response to CO and NH{sub 3} gases with response time of 4 s and 4.3 s at room temperature (RT), respectively. Hence, the approach developed in this work would be important for the low-cost and large-scale production of the CoPCNTs materials with highly promising applications in gas sensors.

  20. Fiber optic gas sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Peng (Inventor); Buric, Michael P. (Inventor); Swinehart, Philip R. (Inventor); Maklad, Mokhtar S. (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    A gas sensor includes an in-fiber resonant wavelength device provided in a fiber core at a first location. The fiber propagates a sensing light and a power light. A layer of a material is attached to the fiber at the first location. The material is able to absorb the gas at a temperature dependent gas absorption rate. The power light is used to heat the material and increases the gas absorption rate, thereby increasing sensor performance, especially at low temperatures. Further, a method is described of flash heating the gas sensor to absorb more of the gas, allowing the sensor to cool, thereby locking in the gas content of the sensor material, and taking the difference between the starting and ending resonant wavelengths as an indication of the concentration of the gas in the ambient atmosphere.

  1. Gas sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, Andreas K.; Mascaraque, Arantzazu; Santos, Benito; de la Figuera, Juan

    2014-09-09

    A gas sensor is described which incorporates a sensor stack comprising a first film layer of a ferromagnetic material, a spacer layer, and a second film layer of the ferromagnetic material. The first film layer is fabricated so that it exhibits a dependence of its magnetic anisotropy direction on the presence of a gas, That is, the orientation of the easy axis of magnetization will flip from out-of-plane to in-plane when the gas to be detected is present in sufficient concentration. By monitoring the change in resistance of the sensor stack when the orientation of the first layer's magnetization changes, and correlating that change with temperature one can determine both the identity and relative concentration of the detected gas. In one embodiment the stack sensor comprises a top ferromagnetic layer two mono layers thick of cobalt deposited upon a spacer layer of ruthenium, which in turn has a second layer of cobalt disposed on its other side, this second cobalt layer in contact with a programmable heater chip.

  2. Batch-processed carbon nanotube wall as pressure and flow sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Jungwook; Kim, Jongbaeg

    2010-01-01

    A pressure and flow sensor based on the electrothermal-thermistor effect of a batch-processed carbon nanotube wall (CNT wall) is presented. The negative temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of CNTs and the temperature dependent tunneling rate through the CNT/silicon junction enable vacuum pressure and flow velocity sensing because the heat transfer rate between CNTs and the surrounding gas molecules differs depending on pressure and flow rate. The CNT walls are synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on an array of microelectrodes fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The CNTs are self-assembled between the microelectrodes and substrate across the thickness of a buried oxide layer during the synthesis process, and the simple batch fabrication results in high throughput and yield. A wide pressure range, down to 3 x 10 -3 from 10 5 Pa, and a nitrogen flow velocity range between 1 and 52.4 mm s -1 , are sensed. Further experimental characterizations of the bias voltage dependent response of the sensor as a vacuum pressure gauge are presented.

  3. Electrochemical Sensors Based on Carbon Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Aminur Rahman

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available This review focuses on recent contributions in the development of the electrochemical sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs. CNTs have unique mechanical and electronic properties, combined with chemical stability, and behave electrically as a metal or semiconductor, depending on their structure. For sensing applications, CNTs have many advantages such as small size with larger surface area, excellent electron transfer promoting ability when used as electrodes modifier in electrochemical reactions, and easy protein immobilization with retention of its activity for potential biosensors. CNTs play an important role in the performance of electrochemical biosensors, immunosensors, and DNA biosensors. Various methods have been developed for the design of sensors using CNTs in recent years. Herein we summarize the applications of CNTs in the construction of electrochemical sensors and biosensors along with other nanomaterials and conducting polymers.

  4. A selective iodide ion sensor electrode based on functionalized ZnO nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Khun, Kimleang; Willander, Magnus

    2013-02-04

    In this research work, ZnO nanotubes were fabricated on a gold coated glass substrate through chemical etching by the aqueous chemical growth method. For the first time a nanostructure-based iodide ion selective electrode was developed. The ZnO nanotubes were functionalized with miconazole ion exchanger and the electromotive force (EMF) was measured by the potentiometric method. The iodide ion sensor exhibited a linear response over a wide range of concentrations (1 × 10-6 to 1 × 10-1 M) and excellent sensitivity of -62 ± 1 mV/decade. The detection limit of the proposed sensor was found to be 5 × 10-7 M. The effects of pH, temperature, additive, plasticizer and stabilizer on the potential response of iodide ion selective electrode were also studied. The proposed iodide ion sensor demonstrated a fast response time of less than 5 s and high selectivity against common organic and the inorganic anions. All the obtained results revealed that the iodide ion sensor based on functionalized ZnO nanotubes may be used for the detection of iodide ion in environmental water samples, pharmaceutical products and other real samples.

  5. A Selective Iodide Ion Sensor Electrode Based on Functionalized ZnO Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magnus Willander

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available In this research work, ZnO nanotubes were fabricated on a gold coated glass substrate through chemical etching by the aqueous chemical growth method. For the first time a nanostructure-based iodide ion selective electrode was developed. The ZnO nanotubes were functionalized with miconazole ion exchanger and the electromotive force (EMF was measured by the potentiometric method. The iodide ion sensor exhibited a linear response over a wide range of concentrations (1 × 10−6 to 1 × 10−1 M and excellent sensitivity of –62 ± 1 mV/decade. The detection limit of the proposed sensor was found to be 5 × 10−7 M. The effects of pH, temperature, additive, plasticizer and stabilizer on the potential response of iodide ion selective electrode were also studied. The proposed iodide ion sensor demonstrated a fast response time of less than 5 s and high selectivity against common organic and the inorganic anions. All the obtained results revealed that the iodide ion sensor based on functionalized ZnO nanotubes may be used for the detection of iodide ion in environmental water samples, pharmaceutical products and other real samples.

  6. Preparation of the spacer for narrow electrode gap configuration in ionization-based gas sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2012-01-01

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have started to be developed as the sensing element for ionization-based gas sensors due to the demand for improved sensitivity, selectivity, stability and other sensing properties beyond what can be offered by the conventional ones. Although these limitations have been overcome, the problems still remain with the conventional ionization-based gas sensors in that they are bulky and operating with large breakdown voltage and high temperature. Recent studies have shown that the breakdown voltage can be reduced by using nanostructured electrodes and narrow electrode gap. Nanostructured electrode in the form of aligned CNTs array with evenly distributed nanotips can enhance the linear electric field significantly. The later is attributed to the shorter conductivity path through narrow electrode gap. The paper presents the study on the design consideration in order to realize ionization based gas sensor using aligned carbon nanotubes array in an optimum sensor configuration with narrow electrode gap. Several deposition techniques were studied to deposit the spacer, the key component that can control the electrode gap. Plasma spray deposition, electron beam deposition and dry oxidation method were employed to obtain minimum film thickness around 32 μm. For plasma spray method, sand blasting process is required in order to produce rough surface for strong bonding of the deposited film onto the surface. Film thickness, typically about 39 μm can be obtained. For the electron beam deposition and dry oxidation, the film thickness is in the range of nanometers and thus unsuitable to produce the spacer. The deposited multilayer film consisting of copper, alumina and ferum on which CNTs array will be grown was found to be removed during the etching process. This is attributed to the high etching rate on the thin film which can be prevented by reducing the rate and having a thicker conductive copper film.

  7. Preparation of the spacer for narrow electrode gap configuration in ionization-based gas sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saheed, Mohamed Shuaib Mohamed; Mohamed, Norani Muti; Burhanudin, Zainal Arif [Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Tronoh, Perak. (Malaysia); Fundamental and Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Tronoh, Perak. (Malaysia); Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Tronoh, Perak. (Malaysia)

    2012-09-26

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have started to be developed as the sensing element for ionization-based gas sensors due to the demand for improved sensitivity, selectivity, stability and other sensing properties beyond what can be offered by the conventional ones. Although these limitations have been overcome, the problems still remain with the conventional ionization-based gas sensors in that they are bulky and operating with large breakdown voltage and high temperature. Recent studies have shown that the breakdown voltage can be reduced by using nanostructured electrodes and narrow electrode gap. Nanostructured electrode in the form of aligned CNTs array with evenly distributed nanotips can enhance the linear electric field significantly. The later is attributed to the shorter conductivity path through narrow electrode gap. The paper presents the study on the design consideration in order to realize ionization based gas sensor using aligned carbon nanotubes array in an optimum sensor configuration with narrow electrode gap. Several deposition techniques were studied to deposit the spacer, the key component that can control the electrode gap. Plasma spray deposition, electron beam deposition and dry oxidation method were employed to obtain minimum film thickness around 32 {mu}m. For plasma spray method, sand blasting process is required in order to produce rough surface for strong bonding of the deposited film onto the surface. Film thickness, typically about 39 {mu}m can be obtained. For the electron beam deposition and dry oxidation, the film thickness is in the range of nanometers and thus unsuitable to produce the spacer. The deposited multilayer film consisting of copper, alumina and ferum on which CNTs array will be grown was found to be removed during the etching process. This is attributed to the high etching rate on the thin film which can be prevented by reducing the rate and having a thicker conductive copper film.

  8. The detection of improvised nonmilitary peroxide based explosives using a titania nanotube array sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banerjee, Subarna; Mohapatra, Susanta K; Misra, Mano; Mishra, Indu B

    2009-01-01

    There is a critical need to develop an efficient, reliable and highly selective sensor for the detection of improvised nonmilitary explosives. This paper describes the utilization of functionalized titania nanotube arrays for sensing improvised organic peroxide explosives such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP). TATP forms complexes with titania nanotube arrays (prepared by anodization and sensitized with zinc ions) and thus affects the electron state of the nanosensing device, which is signaled as a change in current of the overall nanotube material. The response is rapid and a signal of five to eight orders of magnitude is observed. These nanotube array sensors can be used as hand-held miniaturized devices as well as large scale portable units for military and homeland security applications.

  9. The detection of improvised nonmilitary peroxide based explosives using a titania nanotube array sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Subarna; Mohapatra, Susanta K; Misra, Mano; Mishra, Indu B

    2009-02-18

    There is a critical need to develop an efficient, reliable and highly selective sensor for the detection of improvised nonmilitary explosives. This paper describes the utilization of functionalized titania nanotube arrays for sensing improvised organic peroxide explosives such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP). TATP forms complexes with titania nanotube arrays (prepared by anodization and sensitized with zinc ions) and thus affects the electron state of the nanosensing device, which is signaled as a change in current of the overall nanotube material. The response is rapid and a signal of five to eight orders of magnitude is observed. These nanotube array sensors can be used as hand-held miniaturized devices as well as large scale portable units for military and homeland security applications.

  10. Sensors based on carbon nanotube field-effect transistors and molecular recognition approaches

    OpenAIRE

    Cid Salavert, Cristina Carlota

    2009-01-01

    The general objective of this thesis is to develop chemical sensors whose sensing capacities are based on the principle of molecular recognition and where the transduction is carried out by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT).The sensing device used is the carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (CNTFET). The new structure of the CNTFET allows nanotubes to be integrated at the surface of the devices, thus exploiting SWCNTs' sensitivity to changes in their environment. The functionalization...

  11. Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Nanocomposites Flexible Stress and Strain Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Jin Ho; Sauti, Godfrey; Park, Cheol; Scholl, Jonathan A.; Lowther, Sharon E.; Harrison, Joycelyn S.

    2008-01-01

    Conformable stress and strain sensors are required for monitoring the integrity of airframe structures as well as for sensing the mechanical stimuli in prosthetic arms. For this purpose, we have developed a series of piezoresistive single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/polymer nanocomposites. The electromechanical coupling of pressure with resistance changes in these nanocomposites is exceptionally greater than that of metallic piezoresistive materials. In fact, the piezoresistive stress coefficient (pi) of a SWCNT/polymer nanocomposite is approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of a typical metallic piezoresistive. The piezoresistive stress coefficient is a function of the nanotube concentration wherein the maximum value occurs at a concentration just above the percolation threshold concentration (phi approx. 0.05 %). This response appears to originate from a change in intrinsic resistivity under compression/tension. A systematic study of the effect of the modulus of the polymer matrix on piezoresistivity allowed us to make flexible and conformable sensors for biomedical applications. The prototype haptic sensors using these nanocomposites are demonstrated. The piezocapacitive properties of SWCNT/polymer are also characterized by monitoring the capacitance change under pressure.

  12. A built-in sensor with carbon nanotubes coated by Ag clusters for deformation monitoring of glass fibre/epoxy composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slobodian, P.; Riha, P.; Matyas, J.; Olejnik, R.; Lloret Pertegás, S.; Schledjewski, R.; Kovar, M.

    2018-03-01

    A multiwalled carbon nanotube network embedded in a polyurethane membrane was integrated into a glass fibre reinforced epoxy composite by means of vacuum infusion to become a part of the composite and has been serving for a strain self-sensing functionality. Besides the pristine nanotubes also nanotubes with Ag nanoparticles attached to their surfaces were used to increase strain sensing. Moreover, the design of the carbon nanotube/polyurethane sensor allowed formation of network micro-sized cracks which increased its reversible electrical resistance resulted in an enhancement of strain sensing. The resistance sensitivity, quantified by a gauge factor, increased more than hundredfold in case of a pre-strained sensor with Ag decorated nanotubes in comparison with the sensor with pristine nanotubes.

  13. An Overview of Pesticide Monitoring at Environmental Samples Using Carbon Nanotubes-Based Electrochemical Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ademar Wong

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Carbon nanotubes have received enormous attention in the development of electrochemical sensors by promoting electron transfer reactions, decreasing the work overpotential within great surface areas. The growing concerns about environmental health emphasized the necessity of continuous monitoring of pollutants. Pesticides have been successfully used to control agricultural and public health pests; however, intense use can cause a number of damages for biodiversity and human health. In this sense, carbon nanotubes-based electrochemical sensors have been proposed for pesticide monitoring combining different electrode modification strategies and electroanalytical techniques. In this paper, we provide a review of the recent advances in the use of carbon nanotubes for the construction of electrochemical sensors dedicated to the environmental monitoring of pesticides. Future directions, perspectives, and challenges are also commented.

  14. Molecular imprinted polymer functionalized carbon nanotube sensors for detection of saccharides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badhulika, Sushmee; Mulchandani, Ashok

    2015-08-01

    In this work, we report the synthesis and fabrication of an enzyme-free sugar sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) on the surface of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Electropolymerization of 3-aminophenylboronic acid (3-APBA) in the presence of 10 M d-fructose and fluoride at neutral pH conditions resulted in the formation of a self-doped, molecularly imprinted conducting polymer (MICP) via the formation of a stable anionic boronic ester complex between poly(aniline boronic acid) and d-fructose. Template removal generated binding sites on the polymer matrix that were complementary to d-fructose both in structure, i.e., shape, size, and positioning of functional groups, thus enabling sensing of d-fructose with enhanced affinity and specificity over non-MIP based sensors. Using carbon nanotubes along with MICPs helped to develop an efficient electrochemical sensor by enhancing analyte recognition and signal generation. These sensors could be regenerated and used multiple times unlike conventional affinity based biosensors which suffer from physical and chemical stability.

  15. Gas sorption properties of zwitterion-functionalized carbon nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Surapathi, Anil; Chen, Hang-yan; Marand, Eva; Karl Johnson, J.; Sedlakova, Zdenka

    2013-02-01

    We have functionalized carbon nanotubes with carboxylic acid and zwitterion groups. We have evaluated the effect of functionalization by measuring the sorption of CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, and N{sub 2} at 35°C for pressures up to 10 bar. Zwitterion functionalized nanotubes were found to be highly hygroscopic. Thermal gravimetric analysis indicates that water can be desorbed at about 200°C. The adsorption of gases in zwitterion functionalized nanotubes is dramatically reduced compared with nanotubes functionalized with carboxylic acid groups. The presence of water on the zwitterion functionalized nanotube reduces the sorption even further. Molecular simulations show that three or more zwitterion groups per tube entrance are required to significantly reduce the flux of CO{sub 2} into the tubes. Simulations also show that gas phase water is rapidly sorbed into the zwitterion functionalized nanotubes, both increasing the free energy barrier to CO{sub 2} entering the tube and also lowering the equilibrium adsorption through competitive adsorption.

  16. Carbon Nanotube-Silicon Nanowire Heterojunction Solar Cells with Gas-Dependent Photovoltaic Performances and Their Application in Self-Powered NO2 Detecting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  17. The effect of surface morphology on the response of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-loaded vanadium oxide nanotubes gas sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin Wei [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Chen Wen, E-mail: chenw@whut.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Li Yue; Zhao Chunxia; Dai Ying [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China)

    2011-06-01

    The effect of surface morphology on the response of an ethanol sensor based on vanadium nanotubes surface loaded with Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/VONTs) was investigated in this work. The particle size of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} loaded on VONTs was varied by using novel citric acid-assisted hydrothermal method. In the synthesis progress, citric acid was used as a surfactant and chelate agent, which ensured the growth of a uniform Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} loading on the nanotubes surface. The ethanol sensing properties was then measured for these Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/VONTs at 230-300 deg. C. The results showed that the sensor response increased with the particles size and the loading amount of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. It appears that the load of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} on the VONTs surface increases the concentration of oxygen vacancies and decreases the concentration of free electrons. The effects of morphology on the sensor resistance were interpreted in terms of the Debye length and the difference in the number of active sites.

  18. TiO2 Nanotubes: Recent Advances in Synthesis and Gas Sensing Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giorgio Sberveglieri

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Synthesis—particularly by electrochemical anodization-, growth mechanism and chemical sensing properties of pure, doped and mixed titania tubular arrays are reviewed. The first part deals on how anodization parameters affect the size, shape and morphology of titania nanotubes. In the second part fabrication of sensing devices based on titania nanotubes is presented, together with their most notable gas sensing performances. Doping largely improves conductivity and enhances gas sensing performances of TiO2 nanotubes

  19. Soft Pneumatic Bending Actuator with Integrated Carbon Nanotube Displacement Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tim Giffney

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The excellent compliance and large range of motion of soft actuators controlled by fluid pressure has lead to strong interest in applying devices of this type for biomimetic and human-robot interaction applications. However, in contrast to soft actuators fabricated from stretchable silicone materials, conventional technologies for position sensing are typically rigid or bulky and are not ideal for integration into soft robotic devices. Therefore, in order to facilitate the use of soft pneumatic actuators in applications where position sensing or closed loop control is required, a soft pneumatic bending actuator with an integrated carbon nanotube position sensor has been developed. The integrated carbon nanotube position sensor presented in this work is flexible and well suited to measuring the large displacements frequently encountered in soft robotics. The sensor is produced by a simple soft lithography process during the fabrication of the soft pneumatic actuator, with a greater than 30% resistance change between the relaxed state and the maximum displacement position. It is anticipated that integrated resistive position sensors using a similar design will be useful in a wide range of soft robotic systems.

  20. Designing multifunctional chemical sensors using Ni and Cu doped carbon nanotubes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mowbray, Duncan; García Lastra, Juan Maria; Thygesen, Kristian Sommer

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrate a “bottom up” approach to the computational design of a multifunctional chemical sensor. General techniques are employed for describing the adsorption coverage and resistance properties of the sensor based on density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's function...... methodologies, respectively. Specifically, we show how Ni and Cu doped metallic (6,6) single-walled carbon nanotubes may work as effective multifunctional sensors for both CO and NH3....

  1. Coaxial Thermoplastic Elastomer-Wrapped Carbon Nanotube Fibers for Deformable and Wearable Strain Sensors

    KAUST Repository

    Zhou, Jian; Xu, Xuezhu; Xin, Yangyang; Lubineau, Gilles

    2018-01-01

    performances in these design requirements. Here, achieving highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensors by using a coaxial structure, prepared via coaxial wet spinning of thermoplastic elastomer-wrapped carbon nanotube fibers, is proposed. The sensors attain

  2. Intelligent gas-mixture flow sensor

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Dijkstra, Fred; Houkes, Z.; van Kuijk, J.C.C.; van Kuijk, Joost

    A simple way to realize a gas-mixture flow sensor is presented. The sensor is capable of measuring two parameters from a gas flow. Both the flow rate and the helium content of a helium-nitrogen gas mixture are measured. The sensor exploits two measurement principles in combination with (local)

  3. Carbon Nanotube Based Chemical Sensors for Space and Terrestrial Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jing; Lu, Yijiang

    2009-01-01

    A nanosensor technology has been developed using nanostructures, such as single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), on a pair of interdigitated electrodes (IDE) processed with a silicon-based microfabrication and micromachining technique. The IDE fingers were fabricated using photolithography and thin film metallization techniques. Both in-situ growth of nanostructure materials and casting of the nanostructure dispersions were used to make chemical sensing devices. These sensors have been exposed to nitrogen dioxide, acetone, benzene, nitrotoluene, chlorine, and ammonia in the concentration range of ppm to ppb at room temperature. The electronic molecular sensing of carbon nanotubes in our sensor platform can be understood by intra- and inter-tube electron modulation in terms of charge transfer mechanisms. As a result of the charge transfer, the conductance of p-type or hole-richer SWNTs in air will change. Due to the large surface area, low surface energy barrier and high thermal and mechanical stability, nanostructured chemical sensors potentially can offer higher sensitivity, lower power consumption and better robustness than the state-of-the-art systems, which make them more attractive for defense and space applications. Combined with MEMS technology, light weight and compact size sensors can be made in wafer scale with low cost. Additionally, a wireless capability of such a sensor chip can be used for networked mobile and fixed-site detection and warning systems for military bases, facilities and battlefield areas.

  4. Hysteresis Compensation of Piezoresistive Carbon Nanotube/Polydimethylsiloxane Composite-Based Force Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji-Sik Kim

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper provides a preliminary study on the hysteresis compensation of a piezoresistive silicon-based polymer composite, poly(dimethylsiloxane dispersed with carbon nanotubes (CNTs, to demonstrate its feasibility as a conductive composite (i.e., a force-sensitive resistor for force sensors. In this study, the potential use of the nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (CNT/PDMS as a force sensor is evaluated for the first time. The experimental results show that the electrical resistance of the CNT/PDMS composite changes in response to sinusoidal loading and static compressive load. The compensated output based on the Duhem hysteresis model shows a linear relationship. This simple hysteresis model can compensate for the nonlinear frequency-dependent hysteresis phenomenon when a dynamic sinusoidal force input is applied.

  5. Nanostructure Engineered Chemical Sensors for Hazardous Gas and Vapor Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jing; Lu, Yijiang

    2005-01-01

    A nanosensor technology has been developed using nanostructures, such as single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and metal oxides nanowires or nanobelts, on a pair of interdigitated electrodes (IDE) processed with a silicon based microfabrication and micromachining technique. The IDE fingers were fabricated using thin film metallization techniques. Both in-situ growth of nanostructure materials and casting of the nanostructure dispersions were used to make chemical sensing devices. These sensors have been exposed to hazardous gases and vapors, such as acetone, benzene, chlorine, and ammonia in the concentration range of ppm to ppb at room temperature. The electronic molecular sensing in our sensor platform can be understood by electron modulation between the nanostructure engineered device and gas molecules. As a result of the electron modulation, the conductance of nanodevice will change. Due to the large surface area, low surface energy barrier and high thermal and mechanical stability, nanostructured chemical sensors potentially can offer higher sensitivity, lower power consumption and better robustness than the state-of-the-art systems, which make them more attractive for defense and space applications. Combined with MEMS technology, light weight and compact size sensors can be made in wafer scale with low cost.

  6. A Novel of Multi-wall Carbon Nanotubes/Chitosan Electrochemical Sensor for Determination of Cupric ion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Funeng; Li, Lei

    2018-03-01

    A multi-wall carbon nanotubes/Chitosan electrochemical sensor had been fabricated by dropping CHS/MWNT solution directly onto the GC surface. The sensor was charactered by cyclic voltammetry and AC impedance with K3Fe(CN)6 as a electrochemical probe; Cyclic voltammograms(CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) indicated that the active area and electrochemical behavior of the sensor increased and improved significantly after the electrode was modified by carbon nanotubes dispersed by the chitosan. The sensor showed good electrocatalytic activity of K3Fe(CN)6. Also, from the cyclic voltammograms, we can see the process was diffusion controlled on the bare electrode and kinetics and diffusion controlled on the modified electrode. Finally Cu2+ responsed sensitively at the sensor which supplied a new method for the detection of Cu2+.

  7. Fabrication of gas sensor based on field ionization from SWCNTs with tripolar microelectrode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Shengbing; Zhang, Yong; Duan, Zhemin

    2012-12-01

    We report the nanofabrication of a sulfur dioxide (SO2) sensor with a tripolar on-chip microelectrode utilizing a film of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as the field ionization cathode, where the ion flow current and the partial discharge current generated by the field ionization process of gaseous molecules can be gauged to gas species and concentration. The variation of the sensitivity is less than 4% for all of the tested devices, and the sensor has selectivity against gases such as He, NO2, CO, H2, SO2 and O2. Further, the sensor response presents well-defined and reproducible linear behavior with regard to concentration in the range investigated and a detection limitation of tripolar on-chip microelectrode with SWCNTs as a cathode exhibits an impressive performance with respect to stability and anti-oxidation behavior, which are significantly better than had been possible before in the traditional bipolar sensor under explicit circumstances at room temperature.

  8. Pristine carbon nanotubes based resistive temperature sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alam, Md Bayazeed; Saini, Sudhir Kumar; Sharma, Daya Shankar; Agarwal, Pankaj B.

    2016-01-01

    A good sensor must be highly sensitive, faster in response, of low cost cum easily producible, and highly reliable. Incorporation of nano-dimensional particles/ wires makes conventional sensors more effective in terms of fulfilling the above requirements. For example, Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are promising sensing element because of its large aspect ratio, unique electronic and thermal properties. In addition to their use for widely reported chemical sensing, it has also been explored for temperature sensing. This paper presents the fabrication of CNTs based temperature sensor, prepared on silicon substrate using low cost spray coating method, which is reliable and reproducible method to prepare uniform CNTs thin films on any substrate. Besides this, simple and inexpensive method of preparation of dispersion of single walled CNTs (SWNTs) in 1,2 dichlorobenzene by using probe type ultrasonicator for debundling the CNTs for improving sensor response were used. The electrical contacts over the dispersed SWNTs were taken using silver paste electrodes. Fabricated sensors clearly show immediate change in resistance as a response to change in temperature of SWNTs. The measured sensitivity (change in resistance with temperature) of the sensor was found ∼ 0.29%/°C in the 25°C to 60°C temperature range.

  9. Pristine carbon nanotubes based resistive temperature sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alam, Md Bayazeed, E-mail: bayazeed786@gmail.com [CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI, Pilani, India) (India); Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi, India) (India); Saini, Sudhir Kumar, E-mail: sudhirsaini1310@gmail.com [CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI, Pilani, India) (India); Sharma, Daya Shankar, E-mail: dssharmanit15@gmail.com [CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI, Pilani, India) (India); Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT, Bhopal, India) (India); Agarwal, Pankaj B., E-mail: agarwalbpankj@gmail.com [CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI, Pilani, India) (India); Academy for Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR, Delhi, India) (India)

    2016-04-13

    A good sensor must be highly sensitive, faster in response, of low cost cum easily producible, and highly reliable. Incorporation of nano-dimensional particles/ wires makes conventional sensors more effective in terms of fulfilling the above requirements. For example, Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are promising sensing element because of its large aspect ratio, unique electronic and thermal properties. In addition to their use for widely reported chemical sensing, it has also been explored for temperature sensing. This paper presents the fabrication of CNTs based temperature sensor, prepared on silicon substrate using low cost spray coating method, which is reliable and reproducible method to prepare uniform CNTs thin films on any substrate. Besides this, simple and inexpensive method of preparation of dispersion of single walled CNTs (SWNTs) in 1,2 dichlorobenzene by using probe type ultrasonicator for debundling the CNTs for improving sensor response were used. The electrical contacts over the dispersed SWNTs were taken using silver paste electrodes. Fabricated sensors clearly show immediate change in resistance as a response to change in temperature of SWNTs. The measured sensitivity (change in resistance with temperature) of the sensor was found ∼ 0.29%/°C in the 25°C to 60°C temperature range.

  10. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes sensor for organic liquid detection at room temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhary, Deepti; Khare, Neeraj; Vankar, V. D.

    2016-04-01

    We have explored the possibility of using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as room temperature chemical sensor for the detection of organic liquids such as ethanol, propanol, methanol and toluene. MWCNTs were synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) technique. The interdigitated electrodes were fabricated by conventional photolithography technique. The sensor was fabricated by drop depositing MWCNT suspension onto the interdigitated electrodes. The sensing properties of MWCNTs sensor was studied for organic liquids detection. The resistance of sensor was found to increase upon exposure to these liquids. Sensor shows good reversibility and fast response at room temperature. Charge transfer between the organic liquid and sensing element is the dominant sensing mechanism.

  11. Carbon nanotubes for gas detection: materials preparation and device assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terranova, M L; Lucci, M; Orlanducci, S; Tamburri, E; Sessa, V; Reale, A; Carlo, A Di

    2007-01-01

    An efficient sensing device for NH 3 and NO x detection has been realized using ordered arrays of single-walled C nanotubes deposited onto an interdigitated electrode platform operating at room temperature. The sensing material has been prepared using several chemical-physical techniques for purification and positioning of the nanotubes inside the electrode gaps. In particular, both DC and AC fields have been applied in order to move and to align the nanostructures by electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis processes. We investigated the effects of different voltages applied to a gate contact on the back side of the substrate on the performances of the device and found that for different gas species (NH 3 , NO x ) a constant gate bias increases the sensitivity for gas detection. Moreover, in this paper we demonstrate that a pulsed bias applied to the gate contact facilitates the gas interaction with the nanotubes, either reducing the absorption times or accelerating the desorption times, thus providing a fast acceleration and a dramatic improvement of the time dependent behaviour of the device

  12. Carbon nanotube TiO2 hybrid films for detecting traces of O2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llobet, E.; Espinosa, E. H.; Sotter, E.; Ionescu, R.; Vilanova, X.; Torres, J.; Felten, A.; Pireaux, J. J.; Ke, X.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Renaux, F.; Paint, Y.; Hecq, M.; Bittencourt, C.

    2008-09-01

    Hybrid titania films have been prepared using an adapted sol-gel method for obtaining well-dispersed hydrogen plasma-treated multiwall carbon nanotubes in either pure titania or Nb-doped titania. The drop-coating method has been used to fabricate resistive oxygen sensors based on titania or on titania and carbon nanotube hybrids. Morphology and composition studies have revealed that the dispersion of low amounts of carbon nanotubes within the titania matrix does not significantly alter its crystallization behaviour. The gas sensitivity studies performed on the different samples have shown that the hybrid layers based on titania and carbon nanotubes possess an unprecedented responsiveness towards oxygen (i.e. more than four times higher than that shown by optimized Nb-doped TiO2 films). Furthermore, hybrid sensors containing carbon nanotubes respond at significantly lower operating temperatures than their non-hybrid counterparts. These new hybrid sensors show a strong potential for monitoring traces of oxygen (i.e. beverage industry.

  13. Comparative VOCs sensing performance for conducting polymer and porphyrin functionalized carbon nanotubes based sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datta, Kunal; Rushi, Arti; Ghosh, Prasanta; Shirsat, Mahendra

    2018-05-01

    We report sensors for detection of ethyl alcohol, a prominent volatile organic compound (VOC). Single walled carbon nanotubes were selected as main sensing backbone. As efficiency of sensor is dependent upon the choice of sensing materials, the performances of conducting polymer and porphyrin based sensors were compared. Chemiresistive sensing modality was adopted to observe the performance of sensors. It has been found that porphyrin based sensor shows higher affinity towards ethyl alcohol.

  14. Polyvinylpyrrolidone/Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Composite Based 36 deg. YX LiTaO3 Surface Acoustic Wave For Hydrogen Gas Sensing Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chee, Pei Song; Arsat, Rashidah; He Xiuli; Arsat, Mahyuddin; Wlodarski, Wojtek; Kalantar-zadeh, Kourosh

    2011-01-01

    Poly-vinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP)/Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes (MWNTs) based Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensors are fabricated and characterized, and their performances towards hydrogen gas are investigated. The PVP/MWNTs fibers composite are prepared by electrospinning of the composite aqueous solution deposited directly onto the active area of SAW transducers. Via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the morphology of the deposited nanostructure material is observed. From the dynamic response, frequency shifts of 530 Hz (1%H 2 ) and 11.322 kHz (0.25%H 2 ) are recorded for the sensors contain of 1.525 g and 1.025 g PVP concentrations, respectively.

  15. Development of a Hydrogen Gas Sensor Using a Double Saw Resonator System at Room Temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zainab Yunusa

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available 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%.

  16. Electrodes for Semiconductor Gas Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  17. EFFECTS OF SYNTHESIS PARAMETERS ON THE STRUCTURE OF TITANIA NANOTUBES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. NORANI MUTI

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Detection of hydrogen is crucial for industrial process control and medical applications where presence of hydrogen in breath indicates different type of health problems particularly in infants. A better performed sensor with high sensitivity, selectivity, reliability and faster response time would be critical and sought after especially for medical applications. Titanium dioxide nanotube structure is chosen as an active component in the gas sensor because of its highly sensitive electrical resistance to hydrogen over a wide range of concentrations. The objective of the work is to investigate the effect of the anodizing conditions on the structure of titania nanotubes produced by anodizing method. The anodizing parameters namely the ambient temperature and separation of electrodes are varied accordingly to find the optimum anodizing conditions for production of good quality titania nanotubes for enhanced properties based on their uniformity, coverage, pore size and crystallinity. Samples of nanotubes produced were subjected to annealing process at varying time and temperature in order to improve the crystallinity of the nanotubes. The highly ordered porous titania nanotubes produced by this method are of tabular shape and have good uniformity and alignment over large areas. The pore size of the titania nanotubes ranges from 47 to 94 nm, while the wall thickness is in the range of 17 to 26 nm. The length of the nanotubes was found to be about 280 nm. The structure of nanotubes changes from amorphous to crystalline after undergoing annealing treatment. Nanotubes have also shown to have better crystallinity if they were subjected to annealing treatment at higher temperature. The characteristics of nanotubes obtained are found to be agreeable to those that have been reported to show improved hydrogen gas sensing properties.

  18. Modeling the Effects of Interfacial Characteristics on Gas Permeation Behavior of Nanotube-Mixed Matrix Membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chehrazi, Ehsan; Sharif, Alireza; Omidkhah, Mohammadreza; Karimi, Mohammad

    2017-10-25

    Theoretical approaches that accurately predict the gas permeation behavior of nanotube-containing mixed matrix membranes (nanotube-MMMs) are scarce. This is mainly due to ignoring the effects of nanotube/matrix interfacial characteristics in the existing theories. In this paper, based on the analogy of thermal conduction in polymer composites containing nanotubes, we develop a model to describe gas permeation through nanotube-MMMs. Two new parameters, "interfacial thickness" (a int ) and "interfacial permeation resistance" (R int ), are introduced to account for the role of nanotube/matrix interfacial interactions in the proposed model. The obtained values of a int , independent of the nature of the permeate gas, increased by increasing both the nanotubes aspect ratio and polymer-nanotube interfacial strength. An excellent correlation between the values of a int and polymer-nanotube interaction parameters, χ, helped to accurately reproduce the existing experimental data from the literature without the need to resort to any adjustable parameter. The data includes 10 sets of CO 2 /CH 4 permeation, 12 sets of CO 2 /N 2 permeation, 3 sets of CO 2 /O 2 permeation, and 2 sets of CO 2 /H 2 permeation through different nanotube-MMMs. Moreover, the average absolute relative errors between the experimental data and the predicted values of the proposed model are very small (less than 5%) in comparison with those of the existing models in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study where such a systematic comparison between model predictions and such extensive experimental data is presented. Finally, the new way of assessing gas permeation data presented in the current work would be a simple alternative to complex approaches that are usually utilized to estimate interfacial thickness in polymer composites.

  19. Chemical sensors are hybrid-input memristors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sysoev, V. I.; Arkhipov, V. E.; Okotrub, A. V.; Pershin, Y. V.

    2018-04-01

    Memristors are two-terminal electronic devices whose resistance depends on the history of input signal (voltage or current). Here we demonstrate that the chemical gas sensors can be considered as memristors with a generalized (hybrid) input, namely, with the input consisting of the voltage, analyte concentrations and applied temperature. The concept of hybrid-input memristors is demonstrated experimentally using a single-walled carbon nanotubes chemical sensor. It is shown that with respect to the hybrid input, the sensor exhibits some features common with memristors such as the hysteretic input-output characteristics. This different perspective on chemical gas sensors may open new possibilities for smart sensor applications.

  20. Gas Sensors Based on Electrodeposited Polymers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boris Lakard

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Electrochemically deposited polymers, also called “synthetic metals”, have emerged as potential candidates for chemical sensing due to their interesting and tunable chemical, electrical, and structural properties. In particular, most of these polymers (including polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene and their derivatives can be used as the sensitive layer of conductimetric gas sensors because of their conducting properties. An important advantage of polymer-based gas sensors is their efficiency at room temperature. This characteristic is interesting since most of the commercially-available sensors, usually based on metal oxides, work at high temperatures (300–400 °C. Consequently, polymer-based gas sensors are playing a growing role in the improvement of public health and environment control because they can lead to gas sensors operating with rapid detection, high sensitivity, small size, and specificity in atmospheric conditions. In this review, the recent advances in electrodeposited polymer-based gas sensors are summarized and discussed. It is shown that the sensing characteristics of electrodeposited polymers can be improved by chemical functionalization, nanostructuration, or mixing with other functional materials to form composites or hybrid materials.

  1. A carbon nanotube based resettable sensor for measuring free chlorine in drinking water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, Leo H. H.; Hoque, Enamul; Kruse, Peter; Ravi Selvaganapathy, P.

    2015-01-01

    Free chlorine from dissolved chlorine gas is widely used as a disinfectant for drinking water. The residual chlorine concentration has to be continuously monitored and accurately controlled in a certain range around 0.5–2 mg/l to ensure drinking water safety and quality. However, simple, reliable, and reagent free monitoring devices are currently not available. Here, we present a free chlorine sensor that uses oxidation of a phenyl-capped aniline tetramer (PCAT) to dope single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and to change their resistance. The oxidation of PCAT by chlorine switches the PCAT-SWCNT system into a low resistance (p-doped) state which can be detected by probing it with a small voltage. The change in resistance is found to be proportional to the log-scale concentration of the free chlorine in the sample. The p-doping of the PCAT-SWCNT film then can be electrochemically reversed by polarizing it cathodically. This sensor not only shows good sensing response in the whole concentration range of free chlorine in drinking water but is also able to be electrochemically reset back many times without the use of any reagents. This simple sensor is ideally suited for measuring free chlorine in drinking water continuously

  2. Highly sensitive strain sensors based on fragmentized carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yang; Fang, Xiaoliang; Tan, Jianping; Lu, Ting; Pan, Likun; Xuan, Fuzhen

    2018-06-01

    Wearable strain sensors based on nanomaterial/elastomer composites have potential applications in flexible electronic skin, human motion detection, human–machine interfaces, etc. In this research, a type of high performance strain sensors has been developed using fragmentized carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (CNT/PDMS) composites. The CNT/PDMS composites were ground into fragments, and a liquid-induced densification method was used to fabricate the strain sensors. The strain sensors showed high sensitivity with gauge factors (GFs) larger than 200 and a broad strain detection range up to 80%, much higher than those strain sensors based on unfragmentized CNT/PDMS composites (GF composite particles during mechanical deformation, which causes significant resistance change in the strain sensors. The strain sensors can differentiate mechanical stimuli and monitor various human body motions, such as bending of the fingers, human breathing, and blood pulsing.

  3. Fabrication of gas sensor based on field ionization from SWCNTs with tripolar microelectrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai, Shengbing; Zhang, Yong; Duan, Zhemin

    2012-01-01

    We report the nanofabrication of a sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) sensor with a tripolar on-chip microelectrode utilizing a film of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as the field ionization cathode, where the ion flow current and the partial discharge current generated by the field ionization process of gaseous molecules can be gauged to gas species and concentration. The variation of the sensitivity is less than 4% for all of the tested devices, and the sensor has selectivity against gases such as He, NO 2 , CO, H 2 , SO 2 and O 2 . Further, the sensor response presents well-defined and reproducible linear behavior with regard to concentration in the range investigated and a detection limitation of <∼0.5 ppm for SO 2 . More importantly, a tripolar on-chip microelectrode with SWCNTs as a cathode exhibits an impressive performance with respect to stability and anti-oxidation behavior, which are significantly better than had been possible before in the traditional bipolar sensor under explicit circumstances at room temperature. (paper)

  4. Highly sensitive strain sensors based on fragmentized carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane composites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yang; Fang, Xiaoliang; Tan, Jianping; Lu, Ting; Pan, Likun; Xuan, Fuzhen

    2018-06-08

    Wearable strain sensors based on nanomaterial/elastomer composites have potential applications in flexible electronic skin, human motion detection, human-machine interfaces, etc. In this research, a type of high performance strain sensors has been developed using fragmentized carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (CNT/PDMS) composites. The CNT/PDMS composites were ground into fragments, and a liquid-induced densification method was used to fabricate the strain sensors. The strain sensors showed high sensitivity with gauge factors (GFs) larger than 200 and a broad strain detection range up to 80%, much higher than those strain sensors based on unfragmentized CNT/PDMS composites (GF sensors is ascribed to the sliding of individual fragmentized-CNT/PDMS-composite particles during mechanical deformation, which causes significant resistance change in the strain sensors. The strain sensors can differentiate mechanical stimuli and monitor various human body motions, such as bending of the fingers, human breathing, and blood pulsing.

  5. The study of structural properties of carbon nanotubes decorated with NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles and application of nano-composite thin film as H₂S gas sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajihashemi, R; Rashidi, Ali M; Alaie, M; Mohammadzadeh, R; Izadi, N

    2014-11-01

    Nano-composite of multiwall carbon nanotube, decorated with NiFe2O4 nanoparticles (NiFe2O4-MWCNT), was synthesized using the sol-gel method. NiFe2O4-MWCNTs were characterized using different methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The average size of the crystallites is 23.93 nm. The values of the saturation magnetization (MS), coercivity (HC) and retentivity (MR) of NiFe2O4-MWCNTs are obtained as 15 emu g(-1), 21Oe and 5 emu g(-1), respectively. In this research, NiFe2O4-MWCNT thin films were prepared with the spin-coating method. These thin films were used as the H2S gas sensor. The results suggest the possibility of the utilization of NiFe2O4-MWCNT nano-composite, as the H2S detector. The sensor shows appropriate response towards 100 ppm of H2S at 300°C. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Carbon nanotube-TiO(2) hybrid films for detecting traces of O(2).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llobet, E; Espinosa, E H; Sotter, E; Ionescu, R; Vilanova, X; Torres, J; Felten, A; Pireaux, J J; Ke, X; Van Tendeloo, G; Renaux, F; Paint, Y; Hecq, M; Bittencourt, C

    2008-09-17

    Hybrid titania films have been prepared using an adapted sol-gel method for obtaining well-dispersed hydrogen plasma-treated multiwall carbon nanotubes in either pure titania or Nb-doped titania. The drop-coating method has been used to fabricate resistive oxygen sensors based on titania or on titania and carbon nanotube hybrids. Morphology and composition studies have revealed that the dispersion of low amounts of carbon nanotubes within the titania matrix does not significantly alter its crystallization behaviour. The gas sensitivity studies performed on the different samples have shown that the hybrid layers based on titania and carbon nanotubes possess an unprecedented responsiveness towards oxygen (i.e. more than four times higher than that shown by optimized Nb-doped TiO(2) films). Furthermore, hybrid sensors containing carbon nanotubes respond at significantly lower operating temperatures than their non-hybrid counterparts. These new hybrid sensors show a strong potential for monitoring traces of oxygen (i.e. ≤10 ppm) in a flow of CO(2), which is of interest for the beverage industry.

  7. Carbon nanotube-TiO2 hybrid films for detecting traces of O2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Llobet, E; Espinosa, E H; Sotter, E; Ionescu, R; Vilanova, X; Torres, J; Felten, A; Pireaux, J J; Ke, X; Tendeloo, G Van; Renaux, F; Paint, Y; Hecq, M; Bittencourt, C

    2008-01-01

    Hybrid titania films have been prepared using an adapted sol-gel method for obtaining well-dispersed hydrogen plasma-treated multiwall carbon nanotubes in either pure titania or Nb-doped titania. The drop-coating method has been used to fabricate resistive oxygen sensors based on titania or on titania and carbon nanotube hybrids. Morphology and composition studies have revealed that the dispersion of low amounts of carbon nanotubes within the titania matrix does not significantly alter its crystallization behaviour. The gas sensitivity studies performed on the different samples have shown that the hybrid layers based on titania and carbon nanotubes possess an unprecedented responsiveness towards oxygen (i.e. more than four times higher than that shown by optimized Nb-doped TiO 2 films). Furthermore, hybrid sensors containing carbon nanotubes respond at significantly lower operating temperatures than their non-hybrid counterparts. These new hybrid sensors show a strong potential for monitoring traces of oxygen (i.e. ≤10 ppm) in a flow of CO 2 , which is of interest for the beverage industry

  8. Gas sorption properties of zwitterion-functionalized carbon nanotubes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Surapathi, A.; Chen, H.-Y.; Marand, E.; Johnson, J. K.; Sedláková, Zdeňka

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 429, 15 February (2013), s. 88-94 ISSN 0376-7388 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ME09058 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : carbon nanotube * zwitterion functionalized membrane * adsorption of gas es Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 4.908, year: 2013

  9. Ultrasensitive, Stretchable Strain Sensors Based on Fragmented Carbon Nanotube Papers

    KAUST Repository

    Zhou, Jian

    2017-01-17

    The development of strain sensors featuring both ultra high sensitivity and high stretchability is still a challenge. We demonstrate that strain sensors based on fragmented single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) paper embedded in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) can sustain their sensitivity even at very high strain levels (with a gauge factor of over 10(7) at 50% strain). This record sensitivity is ascribed to the low initial electrical resistance (5-28 Omega) of the SWCNT paper and the wide change in resistance (up to 10(6) Omega) governed by the percolated network of SWCNT in the cracked region. The sensor response remains nearly unchanged after 10 000 strain cycles at 20% proving the robustness of this technology. This fragmentation based sensing system brings opportunities to engineer highly sensitive stretchable sensors.

  10. Zirconia-based solid state chemical gas sensors

    CERN Document Server

    Zhuiykov, S

    2000-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of chemical gas sensors, based on solid state technology, that are sensitive to environmental gases, such as O sub 2 , SO sub x , NO sub x , CO sub 2 and hydrocarbons. The paper is focussed on performance of electrochemical gas sensors that are based on zirconia as a solid electrolyte. The paper considers sensor structures and selection of electrode materials. Impact of interfaces on sensor performance is discussed. This paper also provides a brief overview of electrochemical properties of zirconia and their effect on sensor performance. Impact of auxiliary materials on sensors performance characteristics, such as sensitivity, selectivity, response time and recovery time, is also discussed. Dual gas sensors that can be applied for simultaneous monitoring of the concentration of both oxygen and other gas phase components, are briefly considered

  11. Trace detection of hydrogen peroxide vapor using a carbon-nanotube-based chemical sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yijiang; Meyyappan, M; Li, Jing

    2011-06-20

    The sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide in the vapor phase is achieved using a nanochemical sensor consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes as the sensing material. The interdigitated electrode-based sensor is constructed using a simple and standard microfabrication approach. The test results indicate a sensing capability of 25 ppm and response and recovery times in seconds. The sensor array consisting of 32 sensor elements with variations in sensing materials is capable of discriminating hydrogen peroxide from water and methanol. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Gas sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorogan, V.; Korotchenkov, Gh.; Vieru, T.; Prodan, I.

    2003-01-01

    The invention relates to the gas sensors on base of metal-oxide films (SnO, InO), which may be used for enviromental control, in the fireextinguishing systema etc. The gas includes an insulating substrate, an active layer, a resistive layer with ohmic contacts. The resistive layer has two or more regions with dofferent resistances , and on the active layer are two or more pairs of ohmic contacts

  13. Selectivity of multi-wall carbon nanotube network sensoric units to ethanol vapors achieved by carbon nanotube oxidation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Olejník, R.; Slobodian, P.; Říha, Pavel; Sáha, P.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 1, č. 1 (2012), s. 101-106 ISSN 1927-0585 Grant - others:UTB Zlín(CZ) IGA/3/FT/11/D; OP VaVpI(XE) CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0111 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : carbon nanotube network * buckypaper * oxidation * sensor * electrical resistance Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics

  14. Potentiometric sensors using cotton yarns, carbon nanotubes and polymeric membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guinovart, Tomàs; Parrilla, Marc; Crespo, Gastón A; Rius, F Xavier; Andrade, Francisco J

    2013-09-21

    A simple and generalized approach to build electrochemical sensors for wearable devices is presented. Commercial cotton yarns are first turned into electrical conductors through a simple dyeing process using a carbon nanotube ink. These conductive yarns are then partially coated with a suitable polymeric membrane to build ion-selective electrodes. Potentiometric measurements using these yarn-potentiometric sensors are demonstrated. Examples of yarns that can sense pH, K(+) and NH4(+) are presented. In all cases, these sensing yarns show limits of detection and linear ranges that are similar to those obtained with lab-made solid-state ion-selective electrodes. Through the immobilization of these sensors in a band-aid, it is shown that this approach could be easily implemented in a wearable device. Factors affecting the performance of the sensors and future potential applications are discussed.

  15. High resolution gas volume change sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2007-01-01

    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 is 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 μl. 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

  16. Processing and Characterization of a Novel Distributed Strain Sensor Using Carbon Nanotube-Based Nonwoven Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongbo Dai

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the development of an innovative carbon nanotube-based non-woven composite sensor that can be tailored for strain sensing properties and potentially offers a reliable and cost-effective sensing option for structural health monitoring (SHM. This novel strain sensor is fabricated using a readily scalable process of coating Carbon nanotubes (CNT onto a nonwoven carrier fabric to form an electrically-isotropic conductive network. Epoxy is then infused into the CNT-modified fabric to form a free-standing nanocomposite strain sensor. By measuring the changes in the electrical properties of the sensing composite the deformation can be measured in real-time. The sensors are repeatable and linear up to 0.4% strain. Highest elastic strain gage factors of 1.9 and 4.0 have been achieved in the longitudinal and transverse direction, respectively. Although the longitudinal gage factor of the newly formed nanocomposite sensor is close to some metallic foil strain gages, the proposed sensing methodology offers spatial coverage, manufacturing customizability, distributed sensing capability as well as transverse sensitivity.

  17. Facile Synthesis of Polyaniline Nanotubes Using Self-Assembly Method Based on the Hydrogen Bonding: Mechanism and Application in Gas Sensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changqing Yin

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Based on hydrogen bonding, the highly uniform polyaniline (PANI nanotubes were synthesized by self-assembly method using citric acid (CA as the dopant and the structure-directing agent by optimizing the molar ratio of CA to aniline monomer (Ani. Synthesis conditions like reaction temperature and mechanical stirring were considered to explore the effects of hydrogen bonding on the morphologies. The effects of CA on the final morphology of the products were also investigated. The as-synthesized CA doped polyaniline (PANI nanomaterials were further deposited on the plate electrodes for the test of gas sensing performance to ammonia (NH3. The sensitivity to various concentrations of NH3, the repeatability, and the stability of the sensors were also tested and analyzed. As a result, it was found that the PANI nanomaterial synthesized at the CA/Ani molar ratio of 0.5 has highly uniform tubular morphology and shows the best sensing performance to NH3. It makes the PANI nanotubes a promising material for high performance gas sensing to NH3.

  18. A Rapid Process for Fabricating Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chun-Ching Hsiao

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available 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 (△R/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.

  19. Solid state gas sensors. Industrial application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fleischer, Maximilian [Siemens AG, Muenchen (Germany). Corporate Technology; Lehmann, Mirko (eds.) [Innovative Sensor Technology (IST) AG, Wattwil (Switzerland)

    2012-11-01

    Written by experts. Richly illustrated. Encourages future research and investments in the fascinating field of gas sensors. Gas sensor products are very often the key to innovations in the fields of comfort, security, health, environment, and energy savings. This compendium focuses on what the research community labels as solid state gas sensors, where a gas directly changes the electrical properties of a solid, serving as the primary signal for the transducer. It starts with a visionary approach to how life in future buildings can benefit from the power of gas sensors. The requirements for various applications, such as for example the automotive industry, are then discussed in several chapters. Further contributions highlight current trends in new sensing principles, such as the use of nanomaterials and how to use new sensing principles for innovative applications in e.g. meteorology. So as to bring together the views of all the different groups needed to produce new gas sensing applications, renowned industrial and academic representatives report on their experiences and expectations in research, applications and industrialisation.

  20. Refractive index sensor based on total scattering of plasmonic nanotube

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Kaiqiang; Zeng, Qingbing; Hu, Zengrong; Zhan, Yaohui

    2018-03-01

    Plasmonic nanostructures can couple free space light into anultrafine space; therefore,they are employed extensively in the refractive index sensors to minimize the device size or further improve the detection sensitivity. In this work, the optical response of the plasmonic nanotube are investigated comprehensively by using full wave finite element method. With a subwavelength scale, the silver nanotube have prominent scattering peaks in the visible range, which is very suitable for observing through the dark field microscope. The geometric dependence of the scattering spectra and the sensing performance are evaluated carefully. Results show that the scattering peaks are in linear relationship to the circumstance refractive index and a sensitivity of 337 nm/RIUcan be achieved easily by such a plasmonicnanotube with an optimized size.

  1. Highly selective and sensitive detection of neurotransmitters using receptor-modified single-walled carbon nanotube sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Byeongju; Song, Hyun Seok; Jin, Hye Jun; Park, Eun Jin; Lee, Sang Hun; Lee, Byung Yang; Park, Tai Hyun; Hong, Seunghun

    2013-07-01

    We present receptor-modified carbon nanotube sensors for the highly selective and sensitive detection of acetylcholine (ACh), one kind of neurotransmitter. Here, we successfully expressed the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M1 mAChR), a family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), in E. coli and coated single-walled carbon nanotube (swCNT)-field effect transistors (FETs) with lipid membrane including the receptor, enabling highly selective and sensitive ACh detection. Using this sensor, we could detect ACh at 100 pM concentration. Moreover, we showed that this sensor could selectively detect ACh among other neurotransmitters. This is the first demonstration of the real-time detection of ACh using specific binding between ACh and M1 mAChR, and it may lead to breakthroughs for various applications such as disease diagnosis and drug screening.

  2. Highly selective and sensitive detection of neurotransmitters using receptor-modified single-walled carbon nanotube sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Byeongju; Jin, Hye Jun; Park, Eun Jin; Hong, Seunghun; Song, Hyun Seok; Lee, Sang Hun; Park, Tai Hyun; Lee, Byung Yang

    2013-01-01

    We present receptor-modified carbon nanotube sensors for the highly selective and sensitive detection of acetylcholine (ACh), one kind of neurotransmitter. Here, we successfully expressed the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M1 mAChR), a family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), in E. coli and coated single-walled carbon nanotube (swCNT)-field effect transistors (FETs) with lipid membrane including the receptor, enabling highly selective and sensitive ACh detection. Using this sensor, we could detect ACh at 100 pM concentration. Moreover, we showed that this sensor could selectively detect ACh among other neurotransmitters. This is the first demonstration of the real-time detection of ACh using specific binding between ACh and M1 mAChR, and it may lead to breakthroughs for various applications such as disease diagnosis and drug screening. (paper)

  3. Carbon nanotube-TiO{sub 2} hybrid films for detecting traces of O{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Llobet, E; Espinosa, E H; Sotter, E; Ionescu, R; Vilanova, X [MINOS, EMaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona (Spain); Torres, J [Research Department, Carburos Metalicos, MATGAS, Campus UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Valles (Spain); Felten, A; Pireaux, J J [LISE, University of Namur, B-5000 Namur (Belgium); Ke, X; Tendeloo, G Van [EMAT, University of Antwerp, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Renaux, F; Paint, Y; Hecq, M; Bittencourt, C [LCIA, University of Mons-Hainaut, B-7000, Mons (Belgium)

    2008-09-17

    Hybrid titania films have been prepared using an adapted sol-gel method for obtaining well-dispersed hydrogen plasma-treated multiwall carbon nanotubes in either pure titania or Nb-doped titania. The drop-coating method has been used to fabricate resistive oxygen sensors based on titania or on titania and carbon nanotube hybrids. Morphology and composition studies have revealed that the dispersion of low amounts of carbon nanotubes within the titania matrix does not significantly alter its crystallization behaviour. The gas sensitivity studies performed on the different samples have shown that the hybrid layers based on titania and carbon nanotubes possess an unprecedented responsiveness towards oxygen (i.e. more than four times higher than that shown by optimized Nb-doped TiO{sub 2} films). Furthermore, hybrid sensors containing carbon nanotubes respond at significantly lower operating temperatures than their non-hybrid counterparts. These new hybrid sensors show a strong potential for monitoring traces of oxygen (i.e. {<=}10 ppm) in a flow of CO{sub 2}, which is of interest for the beverage industry.

  4. Characterization of Polymeric Chemiresistors for Gas Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hendro Juwono

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Composite polymer-carbon has resistance change if come into contact with gas. Composite polymer-carbon can be used as a gas sensor. This research will be characterized the sensor composite polymer-carbon that has been made from 6 types of polymer, which are; PEG6000, PEG20M, PEG200, PEG1540, Silicon and Squelene. The 6 sensors will be tested by 9 types of gas, which are; Aceton, Aceton Nitril, Benzene, Etanol, Methanol, Ethyl Aceton, Chloroform, n-Hexan and Toluene. This characterization will be grouped into 4 claster of characteristics, which are; the selectivity (influence type of gas, the sensitivity (influence volume of gas, the influence of temperature and the influence of humidity. Test using method testing sensors that paleced in an isolated chamber which is connected with data acquisition. variations of temperature, humidity, type and volume of gas will be condition in the chamber. Correspondence analysis and regression will be used to process the data. Test results found that each sensor of type of polymers have different sensitivity and selectivity towards a particular type of gas. Resistance sensors increases with rising temperature and humidity environment with a polynomial equation of order-2 and order-3

  5. Triboelectric Hydrogen Gas Sensor with Pd Functionalized Surface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sung-Ho Shin

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Palladium (Pd-based hydrogen (H2 gas sensors have been widely investigated thanks to its fast reaction and high sensitivity to hydrogen. Various sensing mechanisms have been adopted for H2 gas sensors; however, all the sensors must be powered through an external battery. We report here an H2 gas sensor that can detect H2 by measuring the output voltages generated during contact electrification between two friction surfaces. When the H2 sensor, composed of Pd-coated ITO (indium tin oxide and PET (polyethylene Terephthalate film, is exposed to H2, its output voltage is varied in proportion to H2 concentration because the work function (WF of Pd-coated surface changes, altering triboelectric charging behavior. Specifically, the output voltage of the sensor is gradually increased as exposing H2 concentration increases. Reproducible and sensitive sensor response was observed up 1% H2 exposure. The approach introduced here can easily be adopted to development of triboelectric gas sensors detecting other gas species.

  6. Skin-like pressure and strain sensors based on transparent elastic films of carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipomi, Darren J; Vosgueritchian, Michael; Tee, Benjamin C-K; Hellstrom, Sondra L; Lee, Jennifer A; Fox, Courtney H; Bao, Zhenan

    2011-10-23

    Transparent, elastic conductors are essential components of electronic and optoelectronic devices that facilitate human interaction and biofeedback, such as interactive electronics, implantable medical devices and robotic systems with human-like sensing capabilities. The availability of conducting thin films with these properties could lead to the development of skin-like sensors that stretch reversibly, sense pressure (not just touch), bend into hairpin turns, integrate with collapsible, stretchable and mechanically robust displays and solar cells, and also wrap around non-planar and biological surfaces such as skin and organs, without wrinkling. We report transparent, conducting spray-deposited films of single-walled carbon nanotubes that can be rendered stretchable by applying strain along each axis, and then releasing this strain. This process produces spring-like structures in the nanotubes that accommodate strains of up to 150% and demonstrate conductivities as high as 2,200 S cm(-1) in the stretched state. We also use the nanotube films as electrodes in arrays of transparent, stretchable capacitors, which behave as pressure and strain sensors.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  8. Flexible and Transparent Strain Sensors with Embedded Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Meshes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Bangbang; Li, Xiangming; Shao, Jinyou; Li, Xin; Tian, Hongmiao; Wang, Duorui; Zhang, Qiang; Lu, Bingheng

    2017-11-22

    Strain sensors combining high sensitivity with good transparency and flexibility would be of great usefulness in smart wearable/flexible electronics. However, the fabrication of such strain sensors is still challenging. In this study, new strain sensors with embedded multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) meshes in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films were designed and tested. The strain sensors showed elevated optical transparency of up to 87% and high sensitivity with a gauge factor of 1140 at a small strain of 8.75%. The gauge factors of the sensors were also found relatively stable since they did not obviously change after 2000 stretching/releasing cycles. The sensors were tested to detect motion in the human body, such as wrist bending, eye blinking, mouth phonation, and pulse, and the results were shown to be satisfactory. Furthermore, the fabrication of the strain sensor consisting of mechanically blading MWCNTs aqueous dispersions into microtrenches of prestructured PDMS films was straightforward, was low cost, and resulted in high yield. All these features testify to the great potential of these sensors in future real applications.

  9. Carbon nanotubes based methanol sensor for fuel cells application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, D W; Lee, J S; Lee, G S; Overzet, L; Kozlov, M; Aliev, A E; Park, Y W; Yang, D J

    2006-11-01

    An electrochemical sensor is built using vertically grown multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) micro-array to detect methanol concentration in water. This study is done for the potential use of the array as methanol sensor for portable units of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Platinum (Pt) nanoparticles electro-deposited CNTs (Pt/CNTs) electrode shows high sensitivity in the measurement of methanol concentration in water with cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement at room temperature. Further investigation has also been undertaken to measure the concentration by changing the amount of the mixture of methanol and formic acid in water. We compared the performance of our micro array sensor built with Pt/CNTs electrodes versus that of Pt wire electrode using CV measurement. We found that our Pt/CNTs array sensor shows high sensitivity and detects methanol concentrations in the range of 0.04 M to 0.10 M. In addition, we found that co-use of formic acid as electrolyte enables us to measure up to 1.0 M methanol concentration.

  10. Gas Composition Sensor for Natural Gas and Biogas

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boersma, A.; Sweelsen, J.; Blokland, H.

    2016-01-01

    The calorific value of energetic gasses is an important parameter in the quality assessment of gas steams, and can be calculated from the chemical composition of the gas. An array of capacitive sensor electrodes was developed, each functionalized with a gas responsive coating to measure the

  11. Micro Coriolis Gas Density Sensor

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sparreboom, Wouter; Ratering, Gijs; Kruijswijk, Wim; van der Wouden, E.J.; Groenesteijn, Jarno; Lötters, Joost Conrad

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we report on gas density measurements using a micro Coriolis sensor. The technology to fabricate the sensor is based on surface channel technology. The measurement tube is freely suspended and has a wall thickness of only 1 micron. This renders the sensor extremely sensitive to changes

  12. Sensor platform for gas composition measurement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Graaf, G.; Bakker, F.; Wolffenbuttel, R.F.

    2011-01-01

    The gas sensor research presented here has a focus on the measurement of the composition of natural gas and gases from sustainable resources, such as biogas. For efficient and safe combustion, new sensor systems need to be developed to measure the composition of these new gases. In general about 6

  13. Microwave interaction with nonuniform hydrogen gas in carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Babaei, S.; Babaei, Sh.

    2009-01-01

    In this paper we study the reflection, absorption, and transmission of microwave from nonuniform hydrogen gas in carbon nanotubes, grown by iron-catalyzed high-pressure carbon monoxide disproportionate (HiPco) process. A discussion on the effect of various hydrogen gas parameters on the reflected power, absorbed power, and transmitted power is presented. The nonuniform hydrogen gas slab is modeled by a series of subslabs. The overall number density profile across the whole slab follows a parabolic function. The total reflected, absorbed, and transmitted powers are then deduced and their functional dependence on the number density, collision frequency, and angle of propagation is studied

  14. Laser-based gas sensors keep moisture out of pipelines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    2006-07-15

    Natural gas often contains contaminants that cause corrosion, and long-term deterioration, and must be cleaned and brought to pipeline standards before it can be delivered to high-pressure, long-distance pipelines. Many older sensors produce false data that can result in contaminated gas getting through. This article presented details of the SpectraSensor, a new laser-based sensor technology used by the El Paso Natural Gas Company (EPNG). The SpectraSensor is comprised of a tunable diode laser (TDL) based technology developed by the National American Space Agency (NASA). The gas analyzer provides non-contact measurement of moisture, carbon dioxide, and other corrosives in natural gas pipelines, and the tunable laser-based gas sensors are fast, accurate, and flexible. Producers can monitor El Paso's gas analyzer readings by capturing the electronic signal from El Paso's unit via a SCADA system and view the readings from control rooms. While initial purchase price is higher than more problematic surface-based gas sensors, an evaluation of the technology has indicated that maintenance savings alone may provide an almost immediate return on investments. Unlike electrochemical and crystal gas sensors, laser-based gas analyzers do not come into direct contact with any substances, a fact which practically eliminates maintenance and operational costs. Studies have shown that the cost of operating conventional electrochemical sensors can result in a cumulative annual expense exceeding $50,000 per unit including labour; recalibration and rebuilding; back-up sensor heads; and gas dehydration and tariffs. 1 fig.

  15. Sol-Gel Thin Films for Plasmonic Gas Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Della Gaspera, Enrico; Martucci, Alessandro

    2015-01-01

    Plasmonic gas sensors are optical sensors that use localized surface plasmons or extended surface plasmons as transducing platform. Surface plasmons are very sensitive to dielectric variations of the environment or to electron exchange, and these effects have been exploited for the realization of sensitive gas sensors. In this paper, we review our research work of the last few years on the synthesis and the gas sensing properties of sol-gel based nanomaterials for plasmonic sensors. PMID:26184216

  16. A multi-axis MEMS sensor with integrated carbon nanotube-based piezoresistors for nanonewton level force metrology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cullinan, Michael A; Panas, Robert M; Culpepper, Martin L

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents the design and fabrication of a multi-axis microelectromechanical system (MEMS) force sensor with integrated carbon nanotube (CNT)-based piezoresistive sensors. Through the use of proper CNT selection and sensor fabrication techniques, the performance of the CNT-based MEMS force sensor was increased by approximately two orders of magnitude as compared to current CNT-based sensor systems. The range and resolution of the force sensor were determined as 84 μN and 5.6 nN, respectively. The accuracy of the force sensor was measured to be better than 1% over the device’s full range. (paper)

  17. Gas sensing properties of indium–gallium–zinc–oxide gas sensors in different light intensity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuen-Lin Chen

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available We have successfully observed the change in indium–gallium–zinc–oxide (IGZO gas sensor sensitivity by controlling the light emitting diode (LED power under the same gas concentrations. The light intensity dependence of sensor properties is discussed. Different LED intensities obviously affected the gas sensor sensitivity, which decays with increasing LED intensity. High LED intensity decreases not only gas sensor sensitivity but also the response time (T90, response time constant (τres and the absorption rate per second. Low intensity irradiated to sensor causes high sensitivity, but it needs larger response time. Similar results were also observed in other kinds of materials such as TiO2. According to the results, the sensing properties of gas sensors can be modulated by controlling the light intensity.

  18. Microfabricated Formaldehyde Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen C. Cheung

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Formaldehyde is a volatile organic compound that is widely used in textiles, paper, wood composites, and household materials. Formaldehyde will continuously outgas from manufactured wood products such as furniture, with adverse health effects resulting from prolonged low-level exposure. New, microfabricated sensors for formaldehyde have been developed to meet the need for portable, low-power gas detection. This paper reviews recent work including silicon microhotplates for metal oxide-based detection, enzyme-based electrochemical sensors, and nanowire-based sensors. This paper also investigates the promise of polymer-based sensors for low-temperature, low-power operation.

  19. Nanoparticle-based gas sensors and methods of using the same

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mickelson, William; Zettl, Alex

    2017-10-17

    Gas sensors are provided. The gas sensors include a gas sensing element having metal oxide nanoparticles and a thin-film heating element. Systems that include the gas sensors, as well as methods of using the gas sensors, are also provided. Embodiments of the present disclosure find use in a variety of different applications, including detecting whether an analyte is present in a gaseous sample.

  20. Nanotechnology for implantable sensors: carbon nanotubes and graphene in medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wujcik, Evan K; Monty, Chelsea N

    2013-01-01

    Implantable sensors utilizing nanotechnology are at the forefront of diagnostic, medical monitoring, and biological technologies. These sensors are often equipped with nanostructured carbon allotropes, such as graphene or carbon nanotubes (CNTs), because of their unique and often enhanced properties over forms of bulk carbon, such as diamond or graphite. Because of these properties, the fundamental and applied research of these carbon nanomaterials have become some of the most cited topics in scientific literature in the past decades. The age of carbon nanomaterials is simply budding, however, and is expected to have a major impact in many areas. These areas include electronics, photonics, plasmonics, energy capture (including batteries, fuel cells, and photovoltaics), and--the emphasis of this review--biosensors and sensor technologies. The following review will discuss future prospects of the two most commonly used carbon allotropes in implantable sensors for nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology, CNTs and graphene. Sufficient further reading and resources have been provided for more in-depth and specific reading that is outside the scope of this general review. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Meso-/Nanoporous Semiconducting Metal Oxides for Gas Sensor Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nguyen Duc Hoa

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Development and/or design of new materials and/or structures for effective gas sensor applications with fast response and high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability are very important issues in the gas sensor technology. This critical review introduces our recent progress in the development of meso-/nanoporous semiconducting metal oxides and their applications to gas sensors. First, the basic concepts of resistive gas sensors and the recent synthesis of meso-/nanoporous metal oxides for gas sensor applications are introduced. The advantages of meso-/nanoporous metal oxides are also presented, taking into account the crystallinity and ordered/disordered porous structures. Second, the synthesis methods of meso-/nanoporous metal oxides including the soft-template, hard-template, and temple-free methods are introduced, in which the advantages and disadvantages of each synthetic method are figured out. Third, the applications of meso-/nanoporous metal oxides as gas sensors are presented. The gas nanosensors are designed based on meso-/nanoporous metal oxides for effective detection of toxic gases. The sensitivity, selectivity, and stability of the meso-/nanoporous gas nanosensors are also discussed. Finally, some conclusions and an outlook are presented.

  2. Nanocrystalline samarium oxide coated fiber optic gas sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renganathan, B.; Sastikumar, D.; Srinivasan, R.; Ganesan, A.R.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • This fiber optic gas sensor works at room temperature. • As-prepared and annealed Sm 2 O 3 nanoparticles are act as sensor materials. • Sm 2 O 3 clad modified fiber detect the ammonia, ethanol and methanol gases. • The response of evanescent wave loss has been studied for different concentrations. - Abstract: Nanocrystalline Sm 2 O 3 coated fiber optic sensor is proposed for detecting toxic gases such as ammonia, methanol and ethanol vapors. Sm 2 O 3 in the as prepared form as well as annealed form have been used as gas sensing materials, by making them as cladding of a PMMA fiber. The spectral characteristics of the Sm 2 O 3 gas sensor are presented for ammonia, methanol and ethanol gases with different concentrations ranging from 0 to 500 ppm. The sensor exhibits a linear variation in the output light intensity with the concentration. The enhanced gas sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor for ethanol is discussed briefly

  3. Non-covalently anchored multi-walled carbon nanotubes with hexa-decafluorinated zinc phthalocyanine as ppb level chemiresistive chlorine sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Anshul Kumar; Mahajan, Aman; Bedi, R. K.; Kumar, Subodh; Debnath, A. K.; Aswal, D. K.

    2018-01-01

    A cost effective solution assembly method has been explored for preparing zinc(II)1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11,15,16,17,18,22,23,24,25-hexa-decafluoro-29H,31H-phthalocyanine/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (F16ZnPc/MWCNTs-COOH) hybrid. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) investigations confirm the non-covalent anchoring of F16ZnPc onto MWCNTs-COOH through п-п stacking interactions. Further, a highly sensitive and selective chemiresistive Cl2 sensor has been fabricated using F16ZnPc/MWCNTs-COOH hybrid. The response of sensor is found to be 21.28% for 2 ppm of Cl2 with a response time of 14 s and theoretical detection limit of the sensor is found down to 0.06 ppb. The improved Cl2 sensing characteristics of hybrid are found to be originated from the synergetic interaction between F16ZnPc and MWCNTs-COOH. The underlying mechanism for improved gas sensing performance of F16ZnPc/MWCNTs-COOH sensor towards Cl2 has been explained using Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies.

  4. Metal oxide gas sensors on the nanoscale

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  5. Carbon nanotube/polymer composite electrodes for flexible, attachable electrochemical DNA sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jianfeng; Lee, Eun-Cheol

    2015-09-15

    All-solution-processed, easily-made, flexible multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based electrodes were fabricated and used for electrochemical DNA sensors. These electrodes could serve as a recognition layer for DNA, without any surface modification, through π-π interactions between the MWCNTs and DNA, greatly simplifying the fabrication process for DNA sensors. The electrodes were directly connected to an electrochemical analyzer in the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements, where methylene blue was used as a redox indicator. Since neither functional groups nor probe DNA were immobilized on the surfaces of the electrodes, the sensor can be easily regenerated by washing these electrodes with water. The limit of detection was found to be 1.3 × 10(2)pM (S/N=3), with good DNA sequence differentiation ability. Fast fabrication of a DNA sensor was also achieved by cutting and attaching the MWCNT-PDMS composite electrodes at an analyte solution-containable region. Our results pave the way for developing user-fabricated easily attached DNA sensors at low costs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Advances in NO2 sensing with individual single-walled carbon nanotube transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chikkadi, Kiran; Muoth, Matthias; Roman, Cosmin; Haluska, Miroslav; Hierold, Christofer

    2014-01-01

    The charge carrier transport in carbon nanotubes is highly sensitive to certain molecules attached to their surface. This property has generated interest for their application in sensing gases, chemicals and biomolecules. With over a decade of research, a clearer picture of the interactions between the carbon nanotube and its surroundings has been achieved. In this review, we intend to summarize the current knowledge on this topic, focusing not only on the effect of adsorbates but also the effect of dielectric charge traps on the electrical transport in single-walled carbon nanotube transistors that are to be used in sensing applications. Recently, contact-passivated, open-channel individual single-walled carbon nanotube field-effect transistors have been shown to be operational at room temperature with ultra-low power consumption. Sensor recovery within minutes through UV illumination or self-heating has been shown. Improvements in fabrication processes aimed at reducing the impact of charge traps have reduced the hysteresis, drift and low-frequency noise in carbon nanotube transistors. While open challenges such as large-scale fabrication, selectivity tuning and noise reduction still remain, these results demonstrate considerable progress in transforming the promise of carbon nanotube properties into functional ultra-low power, highly sensitive gas sensors.

  7. Carbon nanotubes/ceria composite layers deposited on surface acoustic wave devices for gas detection at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    David, M., E-mail: marjorie.david@univ-tln.fr [Universite du Sud Toulon, Var, IM2NP, UMR CNRS 6242, BP 20132. F 83 957 LA GARDE (France); Arab, M.; Martino, C. [Universite du Sud Toulon, Var, IM2NP, UMR CNRS 6242, BP 20132. F 83 957 LA GARDE (France); Delmas, L. [SENSeOR, Sophia Antipolis, 06250 Mougins (France); Guinneton, F.; Gavarri, J.-R. [Universite du Sud Toulon, Var, IM2NP, UMR CNRS 6242, BP 20132. F 83 957 LA GARDE (France)

    2012-05-01

    Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor on ATquartz piezoelectric substrate has been designed and fabricated. Test devices were based on asynchronous single-port resonators operating near the 434-MHz-centered industrial, scientific, and medical band. Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes/Ceria (MWNTs/CeO{sub 2}) nanocomposites were used as sensitive layers. The MWNTs were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition method and coated with nanosized ceria oxide. The composites were deposited on SAW quartz resonator using air-brush technique. MWNTs/CeO{sub 2} nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron and atomic force microscopy. The sensor responses were tested under acetone (C{sub 3}H{sub 5}OH) and ethanol (C{sub 2}H{sub 5}OH) gases. The output signal was done by S{sub 11} parameter of the SAW device and was monitored using a network analyzer. Frequency changes were observed under acetone and ethanol vapors. These changes depended on the surface conductivity of the nanocomposites deposited on the sensor. The single-port SAW gas sensor coated with the MWNTs/CeO{sub 2} presented the highest sensitivity in the case of acetone vapor interacting with these layers, with a frequency shift of 200 kHz at room temperature.

  8. Multi-shelled ZnCo2O4 yolk-shell spheres for high-performance acetone gas sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Ya; Zhu, Zongye; Ding, Degong; Lu, Wenbo; Xue, Qingzhong

    2018-06-01

    In the present study, multi-shelled ZnCo2O4 yolk-shell spheres have been successfully prepared by using carbonaceous microspheres as templates. It is found that the multi-shelled ZnCo2O4 yolk-shell spheres based sensor shows optimal sensing performances (response value of 38.2, response/recovery time of 19 s/71 s) toward 500 ppm acetone at 200 °C. In addition, this sensor exhibits a low detection limit of 0.5 ppm acetone (response value of 1.36) and a good selectivity toward hydrogen, methane, ethanol, ammonia and carbon dioxide. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that acetone gas response of multi-shelled ZnCo2O4 yolk-shell spheres is significantly better than that of ZnCo2O4 nanotubes and ZnCo2O4 nanosheets. High acetone response of the multi-shelled ZnCo2O4 yolk-shell spheres is attributed to the enhanced gas accessibility of the multi-shell morphology caused by the small crystalline size and high specific surface area while the short response/recovery time is mainly related to the rapid gas diffusion determined by the highly porous structure. Our work puts forward an exciting opportunity in designing various yolk-shelled structures for multipurpose applications.

  9. Electronic properties and gas adsorption behaviour of pristine, silicon-, and boron-doped (8, 0) single-walled carbon nanotube: A first principles study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azam, Mohd Asyadi; Alias, Farizul Muiz; Tack, Liew Weng; Seman, Raja Noor Amalina Raja; Taib, Mohamad Fariz Mohamad

    2017-08-01

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have received enormous attention due to their fascinating properties to be used in various applications including electronics, sensing, energy storage and conversion. The first principles calculations within density functional theory (DFT) have been carried out in order to investigate the structural, electronic and optical properties of un-doped and doped CNT nanostructures. O 2 , CO 2 , and CH 3 OH have been chosen as gas molecules to study the adsorption properties based on zigzag (8,0) SWCNTs. The results demonstrate that the adsorption of O 2 , CO 2, and CH 3 OH gas molecules on pristine, Si-doped and B-doped SWCNTs are either physisorption or chemisorption. Moreover, the electronic properties indicating SWCNT shows significant improvement toward gas adsorption which provides the impact of selecting the best gas sensor materials towards detecting gas molecule. Therefore, these pristine, Si-, and B-doped SWCNTs can be considered to be very good potential candidates for sensing application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. The role of the gas species on the formation of carbon nanotubes during thermal chemical vapour deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohashi, Fumitaka; Chen, Guan Yow; Stolojan, Vlad; Silva, S Ravi P

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the several roles that hydrogen plays in the catalytic growth of carbon nanotubes from the point of view of gas species, catalyst activation and subsequent interaction with the carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes and nanofibres were grown by thermal chemical vapour deposition, using methane and a mixture of hydrogen and helium, for a range of growth temperatures and pre-treatment procedures. Long, straight carbon nanotubes were obtained at 900 deg. C, and although the growth yield increases with the growth temperature, the growth shifts from nanotubes to nanofibres. By introducing a helium purge as part of the pre-treatment procedure, we change the gas chemistry by altering the hydrogen concentration in the initial reaction stage. This simple change in the process resulted in a clear difference in the yield and the structure of the carbon nanofibres produced. We find that the hydrogen concentration in the initial reaction stage significantly affects the morphology of carbon fibres. Although hydrogen keeps the catalyst activated and increases the yield, it prevents the formation of graphitic nanotubes.

  11. Dielectrophoresis Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as pH Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Pengfei; Martin, Caleb M; Yeung, Kan Kan; Xue, Wei

    2011-01-31

    Here we report the fabrication and characterization of pH sensors using aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The SWNTs are dispersed in deionized (DI) water after chemical functionalization and filtration. They are deposited and organized on silicon substrates with the dielectrophoresis process. Electrodes with "teeth"-like patterns-fabricated with photolithography and wet etching-are used to generate concentrated electric fields and strong dielectrophoretic forces for the SWNTs to deposit and align in desired locations. The device fabrication is inexpensive, solution-based, and conducted at room temperature. The devices are used as pH sensors with the electrodes as the testing pads and the dielectrophoretically captured SWNTs as the sensing elements. When exposed to aqueous solutions with various pH values, the SWNTs change their resistance accordingly. The SWNT-based sensors demonstrate a linear relationship between the sensor resistance and the pH values in the range of 5-9. The characterization of multiple sensors proves that their pH sensitivity is highly repeatable. The real-time data acquisition shows that the sensor response time depends on the pH value, ranging from 2.26 s for the pH-5 solution to 23.82 s for the pH-9 solution. The long-term stability tests illustrate that the sensors can maintain their original sensitivity for a long period of time. The simple fabrication process, high sensitivity, and fast response of the SWNT-based sensors facilitate their applications in a wide range of areas.

  12. Porous Silicon Structures as Optical Gas Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  13. Multidirectional flexible force sensors based on confined, self-adjusting carbon nanotube arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, J.-I.; Pyo, Soonjae; Kim, Min-Ook; Kim, Jongbaeg

    2018-02-01

    We demonstrate a highly sensitive force sensor based on self-adjusting carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays. Aligned CNT arrays are directly synthesized on silicon microstructures by a space-confined growth technique which enables a facile self-adjusting contact. To afford flexibility and softness, the patterned microstructures with the integrated CNTs are embedded in polydimethylsiloxane structures. The sensing mechanism is based on variations in the contact resistance between the facing CNT arrays under the applied force. By finite element analysis, proper dimensions and positions for each component are determined. Further, high sensitivities up to 15.05%/mN of the proposed sensors were confirmed experimentally. Multidirectional sensing capability could also be achieved by designing multiple sets of sensing elements in a single sensor. The sensors show long-term operational stability, owing to the unique properties of the constituent CNTs, such as outstanding mechanical durability and elasticity.

  14. Metal oxide-based gas sensor and microwave broad-band measurements: an innovative approach to gas sensing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jouhannaud, J; Rossignol, J; Stuerga, D

    2007-01-01

    We outline the development of a gas sensor using microwave technology (0.3 MHz to 3 GHz). The sensor is a coaxial structure into which is introduced a sensitive material. An electromagnetic field (microwave), sent out through the sensor by a vectorial network analyzer, solicits the sensitive material exposed to a gas. The observed variation in the sensor response is due to the variation in the adsorption of this gas. SrTiO 3 , demonstrated to be the highly sensitive to water vapour, is exposed to different gases (saturated vapour of water, ethanol and toluene). The response of the sensor is quantitative and typical for each gas. This method of measurement leads to the development of an alternative to the current gas sensor

  15. Sensors for online determination of CNG gas quality; Sensorer foer onlinebestaemnning av fordonsgaskvalitet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stenlaaaas, Ola; Roedjegaard, Henrik

    2012-07-01

    Swedish automotive gas has until now been a very uniform, high quality automotive fuel. Elsewhere in Europe the quality of automotive gas varies significantly. Gas from different sources with different flammability require engine settings adjusted to the chosen gas' unique composition. The prospects for a vehicle-mounted sensor based on infrared technology for gas quality measurement has been studied and solutions are presented with questions that must be answered in a possible future work. The proposed vehicle mounted sensor is based on two channels, one of which measures the partial pressure of methane and the other measures the partial pressure of heavier hydrocarbons in 'equivalents of butane'. Ethane produces a signal of about 0.6 equivalents of butane and propane about 0.8 equivalents. The sensor can be accommodated in a cube with 5 cm side and should be equipped with nipple connections to the existing system. The sensor is expected to work throughout their entire lifetime without manual calibration, through continuous automatic calibration, so-called ABC (Automatic Baseline Compensation). The sensor will have to meet tough quality and environmental standards in which primarily contact ring, vibration and prevention of leakage are identified as extra difficult. Working temperatures and the electrical conditions of power supply and communication interface is considered less challenging. In one million volumes, the cost per sensor could be 200 to 300 SEK.

  16. Enhanced host–guest electrochemical recognition of herbicide MCPA using a b-cyclodextrin carbon nanotube sensor

    OpenAIRE

    Rahemi, V.; Vandamme, J.J.; Garrido, J.M.P.J.; Borges, F.; Brett, C.M.A.; Garrido, E.M.P.J.

    2012-01-01

    An electrochemical sensor for the determination of the chlorophenoxy herbicide MCPA has been developed, based on a combination of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with incorporated b-cyclodextrin and a polyaniline film modified glassy carbon electrode. The proposed molecular host–guest recogni-tion based sensor has a high electrochemical sensitivity for the determination of MCPA. The electrochemical behaviour of MCPA at the chemically modified electrode was investigated in detail by cyclic volta...

  17. Tuning Selectivity of Fluorescent Carbon Nanotube-Based Neurotransmitter Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, Florian A; Herrmann, Niklas; Meyer, Daniel; Kruss, Sebastian

    2017-06-28

    Detection of neurotransmitters is an analytical challenge and essential to understand neuronal networks in the brain and associated diseases. However, most methods do not provide sufficient spatial, temporal, or chemical resolution. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been used as building blocks for sensors/probes that detect catecholamine neurotransmitters, including dopamine. This approach provides a high spatial and temporal resolution, but it is not understood if these sensors are able to distinguish dopamine from similar catecholamine neurotransmitters, such as epinephrine or norepinephrine. In this work, the organic phase (DNA sequence) around SWCNTs was varied to create sensors with different selectivity and sensitivity for catecholamine neurotransmitters. Most DNA-functionalized SWCNTs responded to catecholamine neurotransmitters, but both dissociation constants ( K d ) and limits of detection were highly dependent on functionalization (sequence). K d values span a range of 2.3 nM (SWCNT-(GC) 15 + norepinephrine) to 9.4 μM (SWCNT-(AT) 15 + dopamine) and limits of detection are mostly in the single-digit nM regime. Additionally, sensors of different SWCNT chirality show different fluorescence increases. Moreover, certain sensors (e.g., SWCNT-(GT) 10 ) distinguish between different catecholamines, such as dopamine and norepinephrine at low concentrations (50 nM). These results show that SWCNTs functionalized with certain DNA sequences are able to discriminate between catecholamine neurotransmitters or to detect them in the presence of interfering substances of similar structure. Such sensors will be useful to measure and study neurotransmitter signaling in complex biological settings.

  18. Porous Silicon Structures as Optical Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor A. Levitsky

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available 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.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  20. A Model of Solid State Gas Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woestman, J. T.; Brailsford, A. D.; Shane, M.; Logothetis, E. M.

    1997-03-01

    Solid state gas sensors are widely used to measure the concentrations of gases such as CO, CH_4, C_3H_6, H_2, C_3H8 and O2 The applications of these sensors range from air-to-fuel ratio control in combustion processes including those in automotive engines and industrial furnaces to leakage detection of inflammable and toxic gases in domestic and industrial environments. As the need increases to accurately measure smaller and smaller concentrations, problems such as poor selectivity, stability and response time limit the use of these sensors. In an effort to overcome some of these limitations, a theoretical model of the transient behavior of solid state gas sensors has been developed. In this presentation, a model for the transient response of an electrochemical gas sensor to gas mixtures containing O2 and one reducing species, such as CO, is discussed. This model accounts for the transport of the reactive species to the sampling electrode, the catalyzed oxidation/reduction reaction of these species and the generation of the resulting electrical signal. The model will be shown to reproduce the results of published steady state models and to agree with experimental steady state and transient data.

  1. Dielectrophoresis Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as pH Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Xue

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Here we report the fabrication and characterization of pH sensors using aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs. The SWNTs are dispersed in deionized (DI water after chemical functionalization and filtration. They are deposited and organized on silicon substrates with the dielectrophoresis process. Electrodes with “teeth”-like patterns—fabricated with photolithography and wet etching—are used to generate concentrated electric fields and strong dielectrophoretic forces for the SWNTs to deposit and align in desired locations. The device fabrication is inexpensive, solution-based, and conducted at room temperature. The devices are used as pH sensors with the electrodes as the testing pads and the dielectrophoretically captured SWNTs as the sensing elements. When exposed to aqueous solutions with various pH values, the SWNTs change their resistance accordingly. The SWNT-based sensors demonstrate a linear relationship between the sensor resistance and the pH values in the range of 5–9. The characterization of multiple sensors proves that their pH sensitivity is highly repeatable. The real-time data acquisition shows that the sensor response time depends on the pH value, ranging from 2.26 s for the pH-5 solution to 23.82 s for the pH-9 solution. The long-term stability tests illustrate that the sensors can maintain their original sensitivity for a long period of time. The simple fabrication process, high sensitivity, and fast response of the SWNT-based sensors facilitate their applications in a wide range of areas.

  2. Membrane gas sensors for fermentation monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mandenius, C F

    1987-12-01

    Results of a study on membrane gas sensors are presented to show their general applicability to fermentation monitoring of volatiles, such as alcohols, organic acids and aldehydes under various process and reactor conditions. Permeable silicone (Noax AB) and teflon (fluorcarbon AB) are tested as material for a gas sensor. The silicone tubing method is mainly used and ethanolic fermentation is performed in the study. Investigation is made to determine the dependence of the sensitivity of the sensors on the temperature, pH, concentration and other properties of fermentation liquid. The effect of temperature on the ethanol response is investigated in the temperature range of 7-50/sup 0/C to reveal that the response time decreases while the sensor's sensitivity increases with an increasing temperature. Comparison among methanol, ethyl acetate, acetaldehyde and ethanol is made with respect to the effect of their concentration on the sensitivity of a sensor. Results of a three-month measurement with the sensor immersed in fermentation liquid are compared with those of GC analysis to investigate the correlation between the sensor's sensitivity and GC analysis data. (11 figs, 17 refs)

  3. Highly Stable and Flexible Pressure Sensors with Modified Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Composites for Human Monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Yin; Ming, Yue; Li, Wei; Li, Yafang; Wu, Maoqi; Song, Jinzhong; Li, Xiaojiu; Liu, Hao

    2018-04-26

    A facile method for preparing an easy processing, repeatable and flexible pressure sensor was presented via the synthesis of modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (m-MWNTs) and polyurethane (PU) films. The surface modification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) simultaneously used a silane coupling agent (KH550) and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) to improve the dispersibility and compatibility of the MWNTs in a polymer matrix. The electrical property and piezoresistive behavior of the m-MWNT/PU composites were compared with raw multi-walled carbon nanotube (raw MWNT)/PU composites. Under linear uniaxial pressure, the m-MWNT/PU composite exhibited 4.282%kPa −1 sensitivity within the pressure of 1 kPa. The nonlinear error, hysteresis error and repeatability error of the piezoresistivity of m-MWNT/PU decreased 9%, 16.72% and 54.95% relative to raw MWNT/PU respectively. Therefore, the piezoresistive response of m-MWNT/PU had better stability than that of raw MWNT/PU composites. The m-MWNT/PU sensors could be utilized in wearable devices for body movement detection, monitoring of respiration and pressure detection in garments.

  4. Electrospray-printed nanostructured graphene oxide gas sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    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 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.

  5. Superior selectivity and sensitivity of blue phosphorus nanotubes in gas sensing applications

    KAUST Repository

    Montes Muñ oz, Enrique; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2017-01-01

    -dimensional materials, in particular Si nanowires and carbon nanotubes, and two-dimensional materials, in particular graphene, phosphorene, and MoS2. Investigation of the energetics of the gas adsorption and induced charge transfers indicates that blue phosphorus

  6. Temperature-modulated direct thermoelectric gas sensors: thermal modeling and results for fast hydrocarbon sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rettig, Frank; Moos, Ralf

    2009-01-01

    Direct thermoelectric gas sensors are a promising alternative to conductometric gas sensors. For accurate results, a temperature modulation technique in combination with a regression analysis is advantageous. However, the thermal time constant of screen-printed sensors is quite large. As a result, up to now the temperature modulation frequency (20 mHz) has been too low and the corresponding principle-related response time (50 s) has been too high for many applications. With a special design, respecting the physical properties of thermal waves and the use of signal processing similar to a lock-in-amplifier, it is possible to achieve response times of about 1 s. As a result, direct thermoelectric gas sensors with SnO 2 as a gas-sensitive material respond fast and are reproducible to the propane concentration in the ambient atmosphere. Due to the path-independent behavior of the thermovoltage and the temperature, the measured thermopower of two sensors is almost identical

  7. Coaxial Thermoplastic Elastomer-Wrapped Carbon Nanotube Fibers for Deformable and Wearable Strain Sensors

    KAUST Repository

    Zhou, Jian

    2018-01-22

    Highly conductive and stretchable fibers are crucial components of wearable electronics systems. Excellent electrical conductivity, stretchability, and wearability are required from such fibers. Existing technologies still display limited performances in these design requirements. Here, achieving highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensors by using a coaxial structure, prepared via coaxial wet spinning of thermoplastic elastomer-wrapped carbon nanotube fibers, is proposed. The sensors attain high sensitivity (with a gauge factor of 425 at 100% strain), high stretchability, and high linearity. They are also reproducible and durable. Their use as safe sensing components on deformable cable, expandable surfaces, and wearable textiles is demonstrated.

  8. Integrated Microfluidic Gas Sensors for Water Monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, L.; Sniadecki, N.; DeVoe, D. L.; Beamesderfer, M.; Semancik, S.; DeVoe, D. L.

    2003-01-01

    A silicon-based microhotplate tin oxide (SnO2) gas sensor integrated into a polymer-based microfluidic system for monitoring of contaminants in water systems is presented. This device is designed to sample a water source, control the sample vapor pressure within a microchannel using integrated resistive heaters, and direct the vapor past the integrated gas sensor for analysis. The sensor platform takes advantage of novel technology allowing direct integration of discrete silicon chips into a larger polymer microfluidic substrate, including seamless fluidic and electrical interconnects between the substrate and silicon chip.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  11. DNA sensor cGAS-mediated immune recognition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pengyan Xia

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The host takes use of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs to defend against pathogen invasion or cellular damage. Among microorganism-associated molecular patterns detected by host PRRs, nucleic acids derived from bacteria or viruses are tightly supervised, providing a fundamental mechanism of host defense. Pathogenic DNAs are supposed to be detected by DNA sensors that induce the activation of NFκB or TBK1-IRF3 pathway. DNA sensor cGAS is widely expressed in innate immune cells and is a key sensor of invading DNAs in several cell types. cGAS binds to DNA, followed by a conformational change that allows the synthesis of cyclic guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP from adenosine triphosphate and guanosine triphosphate. cGAMP is a strong activator of STING that can activate IRF3 and subsequent type I interferon production. Here we describe recent progresses in DNA sensors especially cGAS in the innate immune responses against pathogenic DNAs.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  13. Flexible carbon nanotube sensors for nerve agent simulants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cattanach, Kyle; Kulkarni, Rashmi D; Kozlov, Mikhail; Manohar, Sanjeev K [Alan G MacDiarmid Center for Innovation, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson 75083-0688 (United States)

    2006-08-28

    Chemiresistor-based vapour sensors made from network films of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles on flexible plastic substrates (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) can be used to detect chemical warfare agent simulants for the nerve agents Sarin (diisopropyl methylphosphonate, DIMP) and Soman (dimethyl methylphosphonate, DMMP). Large, reproducible resistance changes (75-150%), are observed upon exposure to DIMP or DMMP vapours, and concentrations as low as 25 ppm can be detected. Robust sensor response to simulant vapours is observed even in the presence of large equilibrium concentrations of interferent vapours commonly found in battle-space environments, such as hexane, xylene and water (10 000 ppm each), suggesting that both DIMP and DMMP vapours are capable of selectively displacing other vapours from the walls of the SWNTs. Response to these interferent vapours can be effectively filtered out by using a 2 {mu}m thick barrier film of the chemoselective polymer polyisobutylene (PIB) on the SWNT surface. These network films are composed of a 1-2 {mu}m thick non-woven mesh of SWNT bundles (15-30 nm diameter), whose sensor response is qualitatively and quantitatively different from previous studies on individual SWNTs, or a network of individual SWNTs, suggesting that vapour sorption at interbundle sites could be playing an important role. This study also shows that the line patterning method used in device fabrication to obtain any desired pattern of films of SWNTs on flexible substrates can be used to rapidly screen simulants at high concentrations before developing more complicated sensor systems.

  14. Gas sensor with multiple internal reference electrodes and sensing electrodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2016-01-01

    The invention relates to a potentiometric gas sensor, or potentiometric gas detection element, with multiple internal reference electrodes and multiple sensing electrodes for determining the concentrations of gas components in a gaseous mixture. The sensor for gas detection comprises: a solid...

  15. A pH sensor based on the TiO{sub 2} nanotube array modified Ti electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao Rongrong; Xu Meizhu [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection for Food Safety, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection for Food Safety, Department of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, 523 Gongye Road, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian (China); Wang Jian, E-mail: jwang@fzu.edu.c [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection for Food Safety, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection for Food Safety, Department of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, 523 Gongye Road, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian (China); Chen Guonan, E-mail: guonanchen@126.co [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection for Food Safety, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection for Food Safety, Department of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, 523 Gongye Road, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian (China)

    2010-08-01

    In this paper, a novel solid state pH sensor was fabricated by anodization of titanium substrate electrode. The relationship between pH sensitivity and hydrophilicity or surface morphology of TiO{sub 2} film was investigated. Amorphous TiO{sub 2} nanotube has better pH response than anatase TiO{sub 2} nanotube. After being irradiated by ultraviolet light (UV), the potential response of the electrode modified by amorphous TiO{sub 2} nanotube was close to Nernst equation (59 mV/pH). SEM, XRD, and XPS were used to characterize electrodes. Possible mechanism was discussed by analyzing surface hydroxyl groups, crystal structure and hydrophilicity of the electrodes. The electrode has been used to detect some kinds of soft drinks and shows good response.

  16. First Fifty Years of Chemoresistive Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Neri

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The first fifty years of chemoresistive sensors for gas detection are here reviewed, focusing on the main scientific and technological innovations that have occurred in the field over the course of these years. A look at advances made in fundamental and applied research and leading to the development of actual high performance chemoresistive devices is presented. The approaches devoted to the synthesis of novel semiconducting materials with unprecedented nanostructure and gas-sensing properties have been also presented. Perspectives on new technologies and future applications of chemoresistive gas sensors have also been highlighted.

  17. Gas Sensors Based on Semiconducting Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ping Feng

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  18. Electron Gas Dynamic Conductivity Tensor on the Nanotube Surface in Magnetic Field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. M. Ermolaev

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Kubo formula was derived for the electron gas conductivity tensor on the nanotube surface in longitudinal magnetic field considering spatial and time dispersion. Components of the degenerate and nondegenerate electron gas conductivity tensor were calculated. The study has showed that under high electron density, the conductivity undergoes oscillations of de Haas-van Alphen and Aharonov-Bohm types with the density of electrons and magnetic field changes.

  19. Test Structures for Rapid Prototyping of Gas and Pressure Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buehler, M.; Cheng, L. J.; Martin, D.

    1996-01-01

    A multi-project ceramic substrate was used in developing a gas sensor and pressure sensor. The ceramic substrate cantained 36 chips with six variants including sensors, process control monitors, and an interconnect ship. Tha gas sensor is being developed as an air quality monitor and the pressure gauge as a barometer.

  20. Electrospray-printed nanostructured graphene oxide gas sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, Anthony P; Velásquez-García, Luis F

    2015-01-01

    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. (paper)

  1. Combustion Sensors: Gas Turbine Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Human, Mel

    2002-01-01

    This report documents efforts to survey the current research directions in sensor technology for gas turbine systems. The work is driven by the current and future requirements on system performance and optimization. Accurate real time measurements of velocities, pressure, temperatures, and species concentrations will be required for objectives such as combustion instability attenuation, pollutant reduction, engine health management, exhaust profile control via active control, etc. Changing combustor conditions - engine aging, flow path slagging, or rapid maneuvering - will require adaptive responses; the effectiveness of such will be only as good as the dynamic information available for processing. All of these issues point toward the importance of continued sensor development. For adequate control of the combustion process, sensor data must include information about the above mentioned quantities along with equivalence ratios and radical concentrations, and also include both temporal and spatial velocity resolution. Ultimately these devices must transfer from the laboratory to field installations, and thus must become low weight and cost, reliable and maintainable. A primary conclusion from this study is that the optics-based sensor science will be the primary diagnostic in future gas turbine technologies.

  2. THE GAS SENSORS BASED ON ZINC OXIDE (THE REVIEW)

    OpenAIRE

    Bugayova, M. E.; Koval, V. M.; Lashkarev, G. V.; Lazorenko, V. I.; Karpina, V. A.; Khranovskyy, V. D.

    2017-01-01

    The wide range of gas sensor application, in particular, in a mining industry for detection of outflow of gases, the control of gas emissions over an atmosphere at the industrial enterprises, in housing and communal services, in home appliances makes actual the review. As the systematized analysis of gas sensor based on ZnO has not being carried out — this work is of interest for development of chemical sensors based on zinc compound with high sensitivity, selectivity and stability. The resis...

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerhard Müller

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  4. Synthesis and integration of one-dimensional nanostructures for chemical gas sensing applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parthangal, Prahalad Madhavan

    The need for improved measurement technology for the detection and monitoring of gases has increased tremendously for maintenance of domestic and industrial health and safety, environmental surveys, national security, food-processing, medical diagnostics and various other industrial applications. Among the several varieties of gas sensors available in the market, solid-state sensors are the most popular owing to their excellent sensitivity, ruggedness, versatility and low cost. Semiconducting metal oxides such as tin oxide (SnO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and tungsten oxide (WO3) are routinely employed as active materials in these sensors. Since their performance is directly linked to the exposed surface area of the sensing material, one-dimensional nanostructures possessing very high surface to volume ratios are attractive candidates for designing the next generation of sensors. Such nano-sensors also enable miniaturization thereby reducing power consumption. The key to achieve success in one-dimensional nanotechnologies lies in assembly. While synthesis techniques and capabilities continue to expand rapidly, progress in controlled assembly has been sluggish due to numerous technical challenges. In this doctoral thesis work, synthesis and characterization of various one-dimensional nanostructures including nanotubes of SnO2, and nanowires of WO3 and ZnO, as well as their direct integration into miniature sensor platforms called microhotplates have been demonstrated. The key highlights of this research include devising elegant strategies for growing metal oxide nanotubes using carbon nanotubes as templates, substantially reducing process temperatures to enable growth of WO3 nanowires on microhotplates, and successfully fabricating a ZnO nanowire array based sensor using a hybrid nanowire-nanoparticle assembly approach. In every process, the gas-sensing properties of one-dimensional nanostructures were observed to be far superior in comparison with thin films of the same

  5. Selectivity enhancement of indium-doped SnO2 gas sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salehi, A.

    2002-01-01

    Indium doping was used to enhance the selectivity of SnO 2 gas sensor. Both indium-doped and undoped SnO 2 gas sensors fabricated with different deposition techniques were investigated. The changes in the sensitivity of the sensors caused by selective gases (hydrogen and wood smoke) ranging from 500 to 3000 ppm were measured at different temperatures from 50 to 300 deg. C. The sensitivity peaks of the samples exhibit different values for selective gases with a response time of approximately 0.5 s. Thermally evaporated indium-doped SnO 2 gas sensor shows a considerable increase in the sensitivity peak of 27% in response to wood smoke, whereas it shows a sensitivity peak of 7% to hydrogen. This is in contrast to the sputter deposited indium-doped SnO 2 gas sensor, which exhibits a much lower sensitivity peak of approximately 2% to hydrogen and wood smoke compared to undoped SnO 2 gas sensors fabricated by chemical vapor deposition and spray pyrolysis. Scanning electron microscopy shows that different deposition techniques result in different porosity of the films. It is observed that the thermally evaporated indium-doped SnO 2 gas sensor shows high porosity, while the sputtered sample exhibits almost no porosity

  6. Vibration analysis of carbon nanotubes-based zeptogram masses sensors and taking into account their rotatory inertia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azrar A.

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In this research work, the transverse vibration behaviour of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SCNT based mass sensors is studied using the Timoshenko beam and nonlocal elasticity theories. The nonlocal constitutive equations are used in the formulations and the CNT with different lengths, attached mass (viruses and bacteria and the general boundary conditions are considered. The dimensionless frequencies and associated modes are obtained for one and two attached masses and different boundary conditions. The effects of transverse shear deformation and rotatory inertia, nonlocal parameter, length of the carbon nanotubes, and attached mass and its location are investigated in detail for each considered problem. The relationship between the frequencies and mode shapes of the sensor and the attached zeptogramme masses are obtained. The sensing devices for biological objects including viruses and bacteria can be elaborated based on the developed sensitivity and frequency shift methodological approach.

  7. New Electrochemically-Modified Carbon Paste Inclusion β-Cyclodextrin and Carbon Nanotubes Sensors for Quantification of Dorzolamide Hydrochloride

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nawal Ahmad Alarfaj

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The present article introduces a new approach to fabricate carbon paste sensors, including carbon paste, modified carbon paste inclusion β-cyclodextrin, and carbon nanotubes for the quantification of dorzolamide hydrochloride (DRZ. This study is mainly based on the construction of three different carbon paste sensors by the incorporation of DRZ with phosphotungstic acid (PTA to form dorzolamide-phosphotungstate (DRZ-PT as an electroactive material in the presence of the solvent mediator ortho-nitrophenyloctyl ether (o-NPOE. The fabricated conventional carbon paste sensor (sensor I, as well as the other modified carbon paste sensors using β-cyclodextrin (sensor II and carbon nanotubes (sensor III, have been investigated. The sensors displayed Nernstian responses of 55.4 ± 0.6, 56.4 ± 0.4 and 58.1 ± 0.2 mV·decade−1 over concentration ranges of 1.0 × 10−5–1.0 × 10−2, 1.0 × 10−6–1.0 × 10−2, and 5.0 × 10−8–1.0 × 10−2 mol·L−1 with lower detection limits of 5.0 × 10−6, 5.0 × 10−7, and 2.5 × 10−9 mol·L−1 for sensors I, II, and III, respectively. The critical performance of the developed sensors was checked with respect to the effect of various parameters, including pH, selectivity, response time, linear concentration relationship, lifespan, etc. Method validation was applied according to the international conference on harmonisation of technical requirements for registration of pharmaceuticals for human use ICH guidelines. The developed sensors were employed for the determination of DRZ in its bulk and dosage forms, as well as bio-samples. The observed data were statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained from other published methods.

  8. Development of a micro-Hall magnetometer and studies of individual Fe-filled carbon nanotubes

    OpenAIRE

    Lipert, Kamil

    2011-01-01

    This work presents Hall magnetometry studies on individual Fe-filled carbon nanotubes (CNT). For this approach high sensitivity micro Hall sensors based on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure with two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) were developed. Electron beam lithography and wet chemical etching were utilized for patterning Hall sensors onto the heterostructure surface. The devices were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and transport measurements. In...

  9. Development of Polymethylmethacrylate Based Composite for Gas Sensing Application

    OpenAIRE

    Devikala, S.; Kamaraj, P.

    2011-01-01

    Gas detection instruments are increasingly needed for industrial health and safety, environmental monitoring and process control. Conductive polymer composites have various industrial applications. The composite prepared by mixing carbon black with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has very good gas sensing applications. The gas sensors based on carbon nanotube/polymer, ceramic and metal oxide composites such as epoxy, polyimide, PMMA / Barium titanate and tin oxide have also been developed. In t...

  10. Gas Sensors Based on Molecular Imprinting Technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yumin; Zhang, Jin; Liu, Qingju

    2017-07-04

    Molecular imprinting technology (MIT); often described as a method of designing a material to remember a target molecular structure (template); is a technique for the creation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with custom-made binding sites complementary to the target molecules in shape; size and functional groups. MIT has been successfully applied to analyze; separate and detect macromolecular organic compounds. Furthermore; it has been increasingly applied in assays of biological macromolecules. Owing to its unique features of structure specificity; predictability; recognition and universal application; there has been exploration of the possible application of MIPs in the field of highly selective gas sensors. In this present study; we outline the recent advances in gas sensors based on MIT; classify and introduce the existing molecularly imprinted gas sensors; summarize their advantages and disadvantages; and analyze further research directions.

  11. Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes with Gold Nanoparticles to Fabricate a Sensor for Hydrogen Peroxide Determination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Halimeh Rajabzade

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A highly sensitive electrode was prepared based on gold nanoparticles/nanotubes/ionic liquid for measurement of Hydrogen peroxide. Gold nanoparticles of 20–25 nm were synthesized on a nanotube carbon paste electrode by cyclic voltammetry technique while the coverage was controlled by applied potential and time. The gold nanoparticles were modified to form a monolayer on CNT, followed by decoration with ionic liquid for determination of hydrogen peroxide. The experimental conditions, applied potential and pH, for hydrogen peroxide monitoring were optimized, and hydrogen peroxide was determined amperometrically at 0.3 V vs. SCE at pH 7.0. Electrocatalytic effects of gold deposited CNT were observed with respect to unmodified one. The sensitivity obtained was 5 times higher for modified one. The presence of Au particles in the matrix of CNTs provides an environment for the enhanced electrocatalytic activities. The sensor has a high sensitivity, quickly response to H2O2 and good stability. The synergistic influence of MWNT, Au particles and IL contributes to the excellent performance for the sensor. The sensor responds to H2O2 in the linear range from 0.02 µM to 0.3 mM. The detection limit was down to 0.4 µM when the signal to noise ratio is 3.

  12. Nanowire-based gas sensors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chen, X.; Wong, C.K.Y.; Yuan, C.A.; Zhang, G.

    2013-01-01

    Gas sensors fabricated with nanowires as the detecting elements are powerful due to their many improved characteristics such as high surface-to-volume ratios, ultrasensitivity, higher selectivity, low power consumption, and fast response. This paper gives an overview on the recent process of the

  13. Low Power Greenhouse Gas Sensors for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David J. Lary

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available We demonstrate compact, low power, lightweight laser-based sensors for measuring trace gas species in the atmosphere designed specifically for electronic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV platforms. The sensors utilize non-intrusive optical sensing techniques to measure atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations with unprecedented vertical and horizontal resolution (~1 m within the planetary boundary layer. The sensors are developed to measure greenhouse gas species including carbon dioxide, water vapor and methane in the atmosphere. Key innovations are the coupling of very low power vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs to low power drive electronics and sensitive multi-harmonic wavelength modulation spectroscopic techniques. The overall mass of each sensor is between 1–2 kg including batteries and each one consumes less than 2 W of electrical power. In the initial field testing, the sensors flew successfully onboard a T-Rex Align 700E robotic helicopter and showed a precision of 1% or less for all three trace gas species. The sensors are battery operated and capable of fully automated operation for long periods of time in diverse sensing environments. Laser-based trace gas sensors for UAVs allow for high spatial mapping of local greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmospheric boundary layer where land/atmosphere fluxes occur. The high-precision sensors, coupled to the ease-of-deployment and cost effectiveness of UAVs, provide unprecedented measurement capabilities that are not possible with existing satellite-based and suborbital aircraft platforms.

  14. A Smart Gas Sensor Insensitive to Humidity and Temperature Variations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hajmirzaheydarali, Mohammadreza; Ghafarinia, Vahid

    2011-01-01

    The accuracy of the quantitative sensing of volatile organic compounds by chemoresistive gas sensors suffers from the fluctuations in the background atmospheric conditions. This is caused by the drift-like terms introduced in the responses by these instabilities, which should be identified and compensated. Here, a mathematical model is presented for a specific chemoresistive gas sensor, which facilitates these identification and compensation processes. The resistive gas sensor was considered as a multi-input-single-output system. Along with the steady state value of the measured sensor resistance, the ambient humidity and temperature are the inputs to the system, while the concentration level of the target gas is the output. The parameters of the model were calculated based on the experimental database. The model was simulated by the utilization of an artificial neural network. This was connected to the sensor and could deliver the correct contamination level upon receiving the measured gas response, ambient humidity and temperature.

  15. Detection of influenza A virus using carbon nanotubes field effect transistor based DNA sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Thi Luyen; Nguyen, Thi Thuy; Huyen Tran, Thi Thu; Chu, Van Tuan; Thinh Tran, Quang; Tuan Mai, Anh

    2017-09-01

    The carbon nanotubes field effect transistor (CNTFET) based DNA sensor was developed, in this paper, for detection of influenza A virus DNA. Number of factors that influence the output signal and analytical results were investigated. The initial probe DNA, decides the available DNA strands on CNTs, was 10 μM. The hybridization time for defined single helix was 120 min. The hybridization temperature was set at 30 °C to get a net change in drain current of the DNA sensor without altering properties of any biological compounds. The response time of the DNA sensor was less than one minute with a high reproducibility. In addition, the DNA sensor has a wide linear detection range from 1 pM to 10 nM, and a very low detection limit of 1 pM. Finally, after 7-month storage in 7.4 pH buffer, the output signal of DNA sensor recovered 97%.

  16. Corroles-Porphyrins: A Teamwork for Gas Sensor Arrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosamaria Capuano

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Porphyrins provide an excellent material for chemical sensors, and they have been used for sensing species both in air and solution. In the gas phase, the broad selectivity of porphyrins is largely dependant on molecular features, such as the metal ion complexed at the core of the aromatic ring and the peripheral substituents. Although these features have been largely exploited to design gas sensor arrays, so far, little attention has been devoted to modify the sensing properties of these macrocycles by variation of the molecular aromatic ring. In this paper, the gas sensing properties of a porphyrin analog, the corrole, are studied in comparison with those of the parent porphyrin. Results show that changes in the aromatic ring have important consequences on the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensors and that porphyrins and corroles can positively cooperate to enhance the performance of sensor arrays.

  17. Amperometric sensor for ascorbic acid based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with gold-silver bimetallic nanotubes in a chitosan matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Penghao; Gao, Xia; Wang, Lisha; Wu, Qi; Chen, Zhichun; Lin, Xianfu

    2014-01-01

    We report on an amperometric sensor for ascorbic acid (AA) that is based on highly dense gold-silver nanotubes in a chitosan film on a glassy carbon electrode. The nanotubes were synthesized by a poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-mediated polyol method employing a replacement reaction with silver nanowires as templates, and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Under the optimal conditions, the sensor exhibits good electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of AA, and this enables the determination of AA in the 5 μM to 2 mM concentration range, with a detection limit at 2 μM (at an S/N of 3). The response time is 2 s. The sensor displays good reproducibility, selectivity, sensitivity, and long-term stability. (author)

  18. Pollution Monitoring System Using Gas Sensor based on Wireless Sensor Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Udin Harun Al Rasyid

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Carbon monoxide (CO and carbon dioxide (CO2 gases are classified as colorless and odorless gas so we need special tools to monitor their concentration in the air. Concentration of air pollution of CO and CO2 that are high in the air will give serious effects for health status. CO is a poisonous gas that damages the circulation of oxygen in the blood when inhaled, while CO2 is one of the gases that causes global warming. In this paper, we developed an integrated pollution monitoring (IPOM system to monitor the concentration of air pollution. This research implemented three sensor nodes (end-device which each node contains CO and CO2 sensors on the gas sensors board to perform sensing from the environment. Furthermore, the data taken from the environment by the sensor will be sent to the meshlium gateway using IEEE 802.15.4 Zigbee communications and processed by the gateway in order to be sent to the computer server. The data is stored in meshlium gateway using MySQL database as a backup, and it will be synchronized to the MySQL database in the computer server. We provide services for public to access the information in database server through a desktop and website application.

  19. 21 CFR 870.4410 - Cardiopulmonary bypass in-line blood gas sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cardiopulmonary bypass in-line blood gas sensor... Cardiopulmonary bypass in-line blood gas sensor. (a) Identification. A cardiopulmonary bypass in-line blood gas sensor is a transducer that measures the level of gases in the blood. (b) Classification. Class II...

  20. Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Nanotube Fiber Sensors: Growth, Processing and Characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Haibo

    With multiple outstanding properties, such as high Young's modulus, high strength, good thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity, carbon nanotube (CNT) has been considered as a new generation of material that has many potential applications in many fields. One obstacle that stands in the way of applying CNTs in the real world is the limited growth length. Catalyst instability is one of the many factors that cause the stops of CNT growth. In this research, intermetalic Fe-Zr catalyst was used to grow millimeter long CNT arrays. The Fe-Zr particles enabled the growth of 1.7 millimeter long carbon nanotube arrays in 45 minutes. A comparison with pure Fe catalyst indicated that adding Zr to iron can stabilize the Fe catalyst at the CNT growth temperature and moderate its reactivity. In future, when CNTs are largely used in industrial, mass production of CNTs at a low cost is vital for market competition. In many current CNT growth methods, a process of depositing a thin catalyst film on top of Al 2O3 film on a piece of silicon wafer is required. Thus the size of CNT samples is limited by the size of the largest silicon wafer currently available, which is 8 inch in diameter. In this study, FeCl2 powders were used as the catalyst to grow CNT arrays not only on traditional silicon substrates but also on quartz substrates and carbon sheets. This unique method does not require the thin film deposition step, which shortens the time used for each batch of CNT growth. The simplicity of this method allows an easy scale-up for mass production of CNTs with a low cost. In order to improve this method, HCl was used to assist the CNT growth. HCl was added via flowing a small amount of C2H2 thorough a bubbuler where HCl solution was contained. With the assistance of HCl, CNT growth could be extended to 1 hour. 3 mm tall non-spinnable arrays and 2 mm tall spinnable arrays were produced using this method. With the increasing use of composite materials, real time health

  1. DFT study on the adsorption behavior and electronic response of AlN nanotube and nanocage toward toxic halothane gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, R.; Hosseinian, A.; Khosroshahi, E. Saedi; Edjlali, L.; Vessally, E.

    2018-04-01

    We have investigated the adsorption of a halothane molecule on the AlN nanotube, and nanocage using density functional theory calculations. We predicted that the halothane molecule tends to be physically adsorbed on the surface of AlN nanotube with adsorption energy (Ead) of -4.2 kcal/mol. The electronic properties of AlN nanotube are not affected by the halothane, and it is not a sensor. But the AlN nanocage is more reactive than the AlN nanotube because of its higher curvature. The halothane tends to be adsorbed on a hexagonal ring, an Alsbnd N bond, and a tetragonal ring of the AlN nanocage. The adsorption ability order is as follows: tetragonal ring (Ead = -14.7 kcal/mol) > Alsbnd N bond (Ead = -12.3 kcal/mol) > hexagonal ring (Ead = -10.1 kcal/mol). When a halothane molecule is adsorbed on the AlN nanocage, its electrical conductivity is increased, demonstrating that it can yield an electronic signal at the presence of this molecule, and can be employed in chemical sensors. The AlN nanocage benefits from a short recovery time of about 58 ms at room temperature.

  2. Multiscale Modeling with Carbon Nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maiti, A

    2006-02-21

    Technologically important nanomaterials come in all shapes and sizes. They can range from small molecules to complex composites and mixtures. Depending upon the spatial dimensions of the system and properties under investigation computer modeling of such materials can range from equilibrium and nonequilibrium Quantum Mechanics, to force-field-based Molecular Mechanics and kinetic Monte Carlo, to Mesoscale simulation of evolving morphology, to Finite-Element computation of physical properties. This brief review illustrates some of the above modeling techniques through a number of recent applications with carbon nanotubes: nano electromechanical sensors (NEMS), chemical sensors, metal-nanotube contacts, and polymer-nanotube composites.

  3. Chemical Gas Sensors for Aeronautic and Space Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1997-01-01

    Aeronautic and space applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. Two areas of particular interest are safety monitoring and emission monitoring. In safety monitoring, detection of low concentrations of hydrogen at potentially low temperatures is important while for emission monitoring the detection of nitrogen oxides, hydrogen, hydrocarbons and oxygen is of interest. This paper discusses the needs of aeronautic and space applications and the point-contact sensor technology being developed to address these needs. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: (1) Micromachining and microfabrication technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. (2) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. The detection of each type of gas involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. The number of dual-use commercial applications of this microfabricated gas sensor technology make this general area of sensor development a field of significant interest.

  4. Ether gas-sensor based on Au nanoparticles-decorated ZnO microstructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto López

    Full Text Available An ether gas-sensor was fabricated based on gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs decorated zinc oxide microstructures (ZnO-MS. Scanning electron microscope (SEM and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM measurements were performed to study morphological and structural properties, respectively, of the ZnO-MS. The gas sensing response was evaluated in a relatively low temperature regime, which ranged between 150 and 250 °C. Compared with a sensor fabricated from pure ZnO-MS, the sensor based on Au-NPs decorated ZnO-MS showed much better ether gas response at the highest working temperature. In fact, pure ZnO-MS based sensor only showed a weak sensitivity of about 25%. The improvement of the ether gas response for sensor fabricated with Au-NPs decorated ZnO-MS was attributed to the catalytic activity of the Au-NPs. Keywords: ZnO microstructures, Au nanoparticles, Ether, Gas sensor

  5. Data-driven modeling of nano-nose gas sensor arrays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alstrøm, Tommy Sonne; Larsen, Jan; Nielsen, Claus Højgård

    2010-01-01

    We present a data-driven approach to classification of Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor data. The sensor is a nano-nose gas sensor that detects concentrations of analytes down to ppm levels using plasma polymorized coatings. Each sensor experiment takes approximately one hour hence...... the number of available training data is limited. We suggest a data-driven classification model which work from few examples. The paper compares a number of data-driven classification and quantification schemes able to detect the gas and the concentration level. The data-driven approaches are based on state...

  6. Data–driven modeling of nano-nose gas sensor arrays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alstrøm, Tommy Sonne; Larsen, Jan; Nielsen, Claus Højgård

    2010-01-01

    We present a data-driven approach to classification of Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor data. The sensor is a nano-nose gas sensor that detects concentrations of analytes down to ppm levels using plasma polymorized coatings. Each sensor experiment takes approximately one hour hence...... the number of available training data is limited. We suggest a data-driven classification model which work from few examples. The paper compares a number of data-driven classification and quantification schemes able to detect the gas and the concentration level. The data-driven approaches are based on state...

  7. Advancement of Miniature Optic Gas Sensor (MOGS) Probe Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chullen, Cinda

    2015-01-01

    Advancement of Miniature Optic Gas Sensor (MOGS) Probe Technology" project will investigate newly developed optic gas sensors delivered from a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II effort. A ventilation test rig will be designed and fabricated to test the sensors while integrated with a Suited Manikin Test Apparatus (SMTA). Once the sensors are integrated, a series of test points will be completed to verify that the sensors can withstand Advanced Suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) environments and associated human metabolic profiles for changes in pressure and levels of Oxygen (ppO2), carbon dioxide (ppCO2), and humidity (ppH2O).

  8. Solid State Gas Sensor Research in Germany – a Status Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Udo Weimar

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  9. Hydrogen peroxide sensor based on modified vitreous carbon with multiwall carbon nanotubes and composites of Pt nanoparticles-dopamine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guzman, C.; Orozco, G. [Electrochemistry Department, Centro de Investigacion y Desarrollo Tecnologico en Electroquimica S.C., P.O. Box 064, C.P. 76700, Pedro Escobedo, Queretaro (Mexico); Verde, Y. [Instituto Tecnologico de Cancun, Av. Kabah Km. 3, C.P. 77500, Cancun, Quintana Roo (Mexico); Jimenez, S. [Unidad Queretaro Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., Juriquilla, Santiago de Queretaro (Mexico); Godinez, Luis A. [Electrochemistry Department, Centro de Investigacion y Desarrollo Tecnologico en Electroquimica S.C., P.O. Box 064, C.P. 76700, Pedro Escobedo, Queretaro (Mexico); Juaristi, E. [Chemistry Department, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., P.O. Box 14-740, C.P. 07360 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Bustos, E. [Electrochemistry Department, Centro de Investigacion y Desarrollo Tecnologico en Electroquimica S.C., P.O. Box 064, C.P. 76700, Pedro Escobedo, Queretaro (Mexico); Chemistry Department, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., P.O. Box 14-740, C.P. 07360 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)], E-mail: ebustos@cideteq.mx

    2009-02-15

    Sensors using nanostructured materials have been under development in the last decade due to their selectivity for the detection and quantification of different compounds. The physical and chemical characteristics of carbon nanotubes provide significant advantages when used as electrodes for electronic devices, fuel cells and electrochemical sensors. This paper presents preliminary results on the modification of vitreous carbon electrodes with Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) and composites of Pt nanoparticles-dopamine (DA) as electro-catalytic materials for the hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) reaction. Chemical pre-treatment and consequent functionalization of MWCNTs with carboxylic groups was necessary to increase the distribution of the composites. In addition, the presence of DA was important to protect the active sites and eliminate the pasivation of the surface after the electro-oxidation of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} takes place. The proposed H{sub 2}O{sub 2} sensor exhibited a linear response in the 0-5 mM range, with detection and quantification limits of 0.3441 mM and 1.1472 mM, respectively.

  10. Hydrogen peroxide sensor based on modified vitreous carbon with multiwall carbon nanotubes and composites of Pt nanoparticles-dopamine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guzman, C.; Orozco, G.; Verde, Y.; Jimenez, S.; Godinez, Luis A.; Juaristi, E.; Bustos, E.

    2009-01-01

    Sensors using nanostructured materials have been under development in the last decade due to their selectivity for the detection and quantification of different compounds. The physical and chemical characteristics of carbon nanotubes provide significant advantages when used as electrodes for electronic devices, fuel cells and electrochemical sensors. This paper presents preliminary results on the modification of vitreous carbon electrodes with Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) and composites of Pt nanoparticles-dopamine (DA) as electro-catalytic materials for the hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) reaction. Chemical pre-treatment and consequent functionalization of MWCNTs with carboxylic groups was necessary to increase the distribution of the composites. In addition, the presence of DA was important to protect the active sites and eliminate the pasivation of the surface after the electro-oxidation of H 2 O 2 takes place. The proposed H 2 O 2 sensor exhibited a linear response in the 0-5 mM range, with detection and quantification limits of 0.3441 mM and 1.1472 mM, respectively

  11. Carbon nanotube as NEMS sensor - effect of chirality and stone-wales defect intend

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gayathri, V; Geetha, R

    2006-01-01

    Having nanosize and unique electrical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) attract lot of interest among scientific community all over the world. One of the recent observations is its role as nanosensors. Obviously the nanosize and high strength of CNT are most preferred parameter for technical and electromechanical field in the industrial point of view. The defects in CNT structure have a vital role in determining their electrical and mechanical properties. Our earlier study indicates an effective role played by the topological defects like pentagon and octagon on the electromechanical properties of these nanostructures. Here our aim is to look in to the effect of Stone-wales defect and chirality on this property of nanotubes deformed under applied pressure. Among the three kinds of tubes considered for this study, we observed that armchair (5, 5) tube is more suitable for sensor applications

  12. Indoor air quality inspection and analysis system based on gas sensor array

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xiang; Wang, Mingjiang; Fan, Binwen

    2017-08-01

    A detection and analysis system capable of measuring the concentration of four major gases in indoor air is designed. It uses four gas sensors constitute a gas sensor array, to achieve four indoor gas concentration detection, while the detection of data for further processing to reduce the cross-sensitivity between the gas sensor to improve the accuracy of detection.

  13. Sensing characteristics of nanocrystalline bismuth oxide clad-modified fiber optic gas sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manjula, M.; Karthikeyan, B.; Sastikumar, D.

    2017-08-01

    Gas sensing properties of nanocrystalline bismuth oxide clad - modified fiber optic sensor is reported for ammonia, ethanol, methanol and acetone gasses at room temperature. The output of sensor increases or decreases for certain gasses when the concentration of the gas is increased. The sensor exhibits high response and good selectivity to methanol gas. Time response characteristics of the sensor are also reported.

  14. A Review of Implementing ADC in RFID Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Zurita

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The general considerations to design a sensor interface for passive RFID tags are discussed. This way, power and timing constraints imposed by ISO/IEC 15693 and ISO/IEC 14443 standards to HF RFID tags are explored. A generic multisensor interface is proposed and a survey analysis on the most suitable analog-to-digital converters for passive RFID sensing applications is reported. The most appropriate converter type and architecture are suggested. At the end, a specific sensor interface for carbon nanotube gas sensors is proposed and a brief discussion about its implemented circuits and preliminary results is made.

  15. 100 nm scale low-noise sensors based on aligned carbon nanotube networks: overcoming the fundamental limitation of network-based sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Minbaek; Lee, Joohyung; Kim, Tae Hyun; Lee, Hyungwoo; Lee, Byung Yang; Park, June; Jhon, Young Min; Seong, Maeng-Je; Hong, Seunghun

    2010-02-01

    Nanoscale sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) networks have been considered impractical due to several fundamental limitations such as a poor sensitivity and small signal-to-noise ratio. Herein, we present a strategy to overcome these fundamental problems and build highly-sensitive low-noise nanoscale sensors simply by controlling the structure of the SWNT networks. In this strategy, we prepared nanoscale width channels based on aligned SWNT networks using a directed assembly strategy. Significantly, the aligned network-based sensors with narrower channels exhibited even better signal-to-noise ratio than those with wider channels, which is opposite to conventional random network-based sensors. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated 100 nm scale low-noise sensors to detect mercury ions with the detection limit of ~1 pM, which is superior to any state-of-the-art portable detection system and is below the allowable limit of mercury ions in drinking water set by most government environmental protection agencies. This is the first demonstration of 100 nm scale low-noise sensors based on SWNT networks. Considering the increased interests in high-density sensor arrays for healthcare and environmental protection, our strategy should have a significant impact on various industrial applications.

  16. 100 nm scale low-noise sensors based on aligned carbon nanotube networks: overcoming the fundamental limitation of network-based sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Minbaek; Lee, Joohyung; Kim, Tae Hyun; Lee, Hyungwoo; Lee, Byung Yang; Hong, Seunghun [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Shilim-Dong, Kwanak-Gu, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Park, June; Seong, Maeng-Je [Department of Physics, Chung-Ang University, Heukseok-Dong, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Jhon, Young Min, E-mail: mseong@cau.ac.kr, E-mail: shong@phya.snu.ac.kr [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hawolgok-Dong, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-02-05

    Nanoscale sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) networks have been considered impractical due to several fundamental limitations such as a poor sensitivity and small signal-to-noise ratio. Herein, we present a strategy to overcome these fundamental problems and build highly-sensitive low-noise nanoscale sensors simply by controlling the structure of the SWNT networks. In this strategy, we prepared nanoscale width channels based on aligned SWNT networks using a directed assembly strategy. Significantly, the aligned network-based sensors with narrower channels exhibited even better signal-to-noise ratio than those with wider channels, which is opposite to conventional random network-based sensors. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated 100 nm scale low-noise sensors to detect mercury ions with the detection limit of {approx}1 pM, which is superior to any state-of-the-art portable detection system and is below the allowable limit of mercury ions in drinking water set by most government environmental protection agencies. This is the first demonstration of 100 nm scale low-noise sensors based on SWNT networks. Considering the increased interests in high-density sensor arrays for healthcare and environmental protection, our strategy should have a significant impact on various industrial applications.

  17. 100 nm scale low-noise sensors based on aligned carbon nanotube networks: overcoming the fundamental limitation of network-based sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Minbaek; Lee, Joohyung; Kim, Tae Hyun; Lee, Hyungwoo; Lee, Byung Yang; Hong, Seunghun; Park, June; Seong, Maeng-Je; Jhon, Young Min

    2010-01-01

    Nanoscale sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) networks have been considered impractical due to several fundamental limitations such as a poor sensitivity and small signal-to-noise ratio. Herein, we present a strategy to overcome these fundamental problems and build highly-sensitive low-noise nanoscale sensors simply by controlling the structure of the SWNT networks. In this strategy, we prepared nanoscale width channels based on aligned SWNT networks using a directed assembly strategy. Significantly, the aligned network-based sensors with narrower channels exhibited even better signal-to-noise ratio than those with wider channels, which is opposite to conventional random network-based sensors. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated 100 nm scale low-noise sensors to detect mercury ions with the detection limit of ∼1 pM, which is superior to any state-of-the-art portable detection system and is below the allowable limit of mercury ions in drinking water set by most government environmental protection agencies. This is the first demonstration of 100 nm scale low-noise sensors based on SWNT networks. Considering the increased interests in high-density sensor arrays for healthcare and environmental protection, our strategy should have a significant impact on various industrial applications.

  18. Optimized Feature Extraction for Temperature-Modulated Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Vergara

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the most serious limitations to the practical utilization of solid-state gas sensors is the drift of their signal. Even if drift is rooted in the chemical and physical processes occurring in the sensor, improved signal processing is generally considered as a methodology to increase sensors stability. Several studies evidenced the augmented stability of time variable signals elicited by the modulation of either the gas concentration or the operating temperature. Furthermore, when time-variable signals are used, the extraction of features can be accomplished in shorter time with respect to the time necessary to calculate the usual features defined in steady-state conditions. In this paper, we discuss the stability properties of distinct dynamic features using an array of metal oxide semiconductors gas sensors whose working temperature is modulated with optimized multisinusoidal signals. Experiments were aimed at measuring the dispersion of sensors features in repeated sequences of a limited number of experimental conditions. Results evidenced that the features extracted during the temperature modulation reduce the multidimensional data dispersion among repeated measurements. In particular, the Energy Signal Vector provided an almost constant classification rate along the time with respect to the temperature modulation.

  19. Ce doped NiO nanoparticles as selective NO2 gas sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  20. Iron filled carbon nanotubes as novel monopole-like sensors for quantitative magnetic force microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wolny, F; Muehl, T; Weissker, U; Lipert, K; Schumann, J; Leonhardt, A; Buechner, B, E-mail: f.wolny@ifw-dresden.de, E-mail: t.muehl@ifw-dresden.de [Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW) Dresden, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069 Dresden (Germany)

    2010-10-29

    We present a novel ultrahigh stability sensor for quantitative magnetic force microscopy (MFM) based on an iron filled carbon nanotube. In contrast to the complex magnetic structure of conventional MFM probes, this sensor constitutes a nanomagnet with defined properties. The long iron nanowire can be regarded as an extended dipole of which only the monopole close to the sample surface is involved in the imaging process. We demonstrate its potential for high resolution imaging. Moreover, we present an easy routine to determine its monopole moment and prove that this calibration, unlike other approaches, is universally applicable. For the first time this enables straightforward quantitative MFM measurements.

  1. Chemical discrimination in turbulent gas mixtures with MOX sensors validated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-10-16

    Chemical detection systems based on chemo-resistive sensors usually include a gas chamber to control the sample air flow and to minimize turbulence. However, such a kind of experimental setup does not reproduce the gas concentration fluctuations observed in natural environments and destroys the spatio-temporal information contained in gas plumes. Aiming at reproducing more realistic environments, we utilize a wind tunnel with two independent gas sources that get naturally mixed along a turbulent flow. For the first time, chemo-resistive gas sensors are exposed to dynamic gas mixtures generated with several concentration levels at the sources. Moreover, the ground truth of gas concentrations at the sensor location was estimated by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We used a support vector machine as a tool to show that chemo-resistive transduction can be utilized to reliably identify chemical components in dynamic turbulent mixtures, as long as sufficient gas concentration coverage is used. We show that in open sampling systems, training the classifiers only on high concentrations of gases produces less effective classification and that it is important to calibrate the classification method with data at low gas concentrations to achieve optimal performance.

  2. Imprinted electrochemical sensor for dopamine recognition and determination based on a carbon nanotube/polypyrrole film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kan Xianwen; Zhou Hong; Li Chen; Zhu Anhong; Xing Zonglan; Zhao Zhe

    2012-01-01

    An electrochemical sensor combining a molecular imprinted technique and an electropolymerization method was developed in this work. A molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) film was fabricated by electropolymerizing pyrrole in the presence of dopamine (DA) after electrodepositing carboxyl-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs-COOH) onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to characterize the constructed sensor. The effects of pH, the monomer concentration, the number of cycles for the electropolymerization, and the scan rate for the sensor preparation were optimized. The MIP-based sensor displayed an excellent recognition capacity toward DA compared with other structurally similar molecules. Additionally, the DPV peak current was linear to the DA concentration in the range from 6.25 × 10 −7 to 1 × 10 −4 mol/L, with a detection limit of 6 × 10 −8 mol/L. The prepared sensor also showed stable reproducibility and regeneration capacity.

  3. Development of Polymethylmethacrylate Based Composite for Gas Sensing Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Devikala

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Gas detection instruments are increasingly needed for industrial health and safety, environmental monitoring and process control. Conductive polymer composites have various industrial applications. The composite prepared by mixing carbon black with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA has very good gas sensing applications. The gas sensors based on carbon nanotube/polymer, ceramic and metal oxide composites such as epoxy, polyimide, PMMA / Barium titanate and tin oxide have also been developed. In the present work, a new composite has been prepared by using PMMA and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP. The PMMA/Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (PMADP composites PMADP 1 and PMADP 2 were characterized by using Powder XRD. The thick films of the composite on glass plates were prepared by using a spin coating unit at 9000 rpm. The application of the thick film as gas sensor has been studied between 0 and 2000 seconds. The results reveal that the thick film of PMADP composite can function as a very good gas sensor.

  4. Growth of nanotubes and chemical sensor applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hone, James; Kim, Philip; Huang, X. M. H.; Chandra, B.; Caldwell, R.; Small, J.; Hong, B. H.; Someya, T.; Huang, L.; O'Brien, S.; Nuckolls, Colin P.

    2004-12-01

    We have used a number of methods to grow long aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes. Geometries include individual long tubes, dense parallel arrays, and long freely suspended nanotubes. We have fabricated a variety of devices for applications such as multiprobe resistance measurement and high-current field effect transistors. In addition, we have measured conductance of single-walled semiconducting carbon nanotubes in field-effect transistor geometry and investigated the device response to water and alcoholic vapors. We observe significant changes in FET drain current when the device is exposed to various kinds of different solvent. These responses are reversible and reproducible over many cycles of vapor exposure. Our experiments demonstrate that carbon nanotube FETs are sensitive to a wide range of solvent vapors at concentrations in the ppm range.

  5. SnO2/PPy Screen-Printed Multilayer CO2 Gas Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.A. WAGHULEY

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Tin dioxide (SnO2 plays a dominant role in solid state gas sensors and exhibit sensitivity towards oxidizing and reducing gases by a variation of its electrical properties. The electrical conducting polymer-polypyrrole (PPy has high anisotropy of electrical conduction and used as a gas sensor. SnO2/PPy multilayer, pure SnO2, pure PPy sensors were prepared by screen-printing method on Al2O3 layer followed by glass substrate. The sensors were used for different concentration (ppm of CO2 gas investigation at room temperature (303 K. The sensitivity of SnO2/PPy multilayer sensor was found to be higher, compared with pure SnO2 and pure PPy sensors. The multilayer sensor exhibited improved stability. The response and recovery time of multilayer sensor were found to be ~2 min and ~10 min respectively.

  6. The Precise Mechanisms of a High-Speed Ultrasound Gas Sensor and Detecting Human-Specific Lung Gas Exchange

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hideki Toda

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we propose and develop a new real-time human respiration process analysis method using a high-time-sampling gas concentration sensor based on ultrasound. A unique point about our proposed gas concentration sensor is its 1 kHz gas concentration sampling speed. This figure could not have been attained by previously proposed gas concentration measurement methods such as InfraRed, semiconductor gas sensors, or GC-MS, because the gas analysis speeds were a maximum of a few hundred milliseconds. First, we describe the proposed new ultrasound sound speed measurement method and the signal processing, and present the measurement circuit diagram. Next, we analyse the human respiration gas variation patterns of five healthy subjects using a newly developed gas-mask-type respiration sensor. This reveals that the rapid gas exchange from H2O to CO2 contains air specific to the human being. In addition, we also measured medical symptoms in subjects suffering from asthma, hyperventilation and bronchial asthma. The millisecond level high-speed analysis of the human respiration process will be useful for the next generation of healthcare, rehabilitation and sports science technology.

  7. Novel bacterial gas sensor proteins with transition metal-containing prosthetic groups as active sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aono, Shigetoshi

    2012-04-01

    Gas molecules function as signaling molecules in many biological regulatory systems responsible for transcription, chemotaxis, and other complex physiological processes. Gas sensor proteins play a crucial role in regulating such biological systems in response to gas molecules. New sensor proteins that sense oxygen or nitric oxide have recently been found, and they have been characterized by X-ray crystallographic and/or spectroscopic analysis. It has become clear that the interaction between a prosthetic group and gas molecules triggers dynamic structural changes in the protein backbone when a gas sensor protein senses gas molecules. Gas sensor proteins employ novel mechanisms to trigger conformational changes in the presence of a gas. In gas sensor proteins that have iron-sulfur clusters as active sites, the iron-sulfur clusters undergo structural changes, which trigger a conformational change. Heme-based gas sensor proteins reconstruct hydrogen-bonding networks around the heme and heme-bound ligand. Gas sensor proteins have two functional states, on and off, which are active and inactive, respectively, for subsequent signal transduction in response to their physiological effector molecules. To fully understand the structure-function relationships of gas sensor proteins, it is vital to perform X-ray crystal structure analyses of full-length proteins in both the on and off states.

  8. Strain gauge sensors comprised of carbon nanotube yarn: parametric numerical analysis of their piezoresistive response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abot, Jandro L; Kiyono, César Y; Thomas, Gilles P; Silva, Emílio C N

    2015-01-01

    Carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns are micron-size fibers that contain thousands of intertwined CNTs in their cross sections and exhibit piezoresistance characteristics that can be tapped for sensing purposes. Sensor yarns can be integrated into polymeric and composite materials to measure strain through resistance measurements without adding weight or altering the integrity of the host material. This paper includes the details of novel strain gauge sensor configurations comprised of CNT yarn, the numerical modeling of their piezoresistive response, and the parametric analysis schemes that determines the highest sensor sensitivity to mechanical loading. The effect of several sensor configuration parameters are discussed including the inclination and separation of the CNT yarns within the sensor, the mechanical properties of the CNT yarn, the direction and magnitude of the applied mechanical load, and the dimensions and shape of the sensor. The sensor configurations that yield the highest sensitivity are presented and discussed in terms of the mechanical and electrical properties of the CNT yarn. It is shown that strain gauge sensors consisting of CNT yarn are sensitive enough to measure strain, and could exhibit even higher gauge factors than those of metallic foil strain gauges. (paper)

  9. Gold nanoparticle/multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode as a sensitive voltammetric sensor for the determination of diclofenac sodium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Afkhami, Abbas; Bahiraei, Atousa; Madrakian, Tayyebeh

    2016-01-01

    A simple and highly sensitive sensor for the determination of diclofenac sodium based on gold nanoparticle/multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode is reported. Scanning electron microscopy along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry was used to characterize the nanostructure and performance of the sensor and the results were compared with those obtained at the multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode and bare glassy carbon electrode. Under the optimized experimental conditions diclofenac sodium gave linear response over the range of 0.03–200 μmol L −1 . The lower detection limits were found to be 0.02 μmol L −1 . The effect of common interferences on the current response of DS was investigated. The practical application of the modified electrode was demonstrated by measuring the concentration of diclofenac sodium in urine and pharmaceutical samples. This revealed that the gold nanoparticle/multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode shows excellent analytical performance for the determination of diclofenac sodium in terms of a very low detection limit, high sensitivity, very good accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility. - Highlights: • GCE was modified with multiwalled carbon nanotube and gold nanoparticles. • AuNP/MWCNT/GCE was used for the determination of diclofenac sodium. • Modified electrode was characterized by SEM, EDS and EIS. • The proposed method showed excellent analytical figures of merit. • This sensor was used for the determination of diclofenac sodium in real samples.

  10. Gold nanoparticle/multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode as a sensitive voltammetric sensor for the determination of diclofenac sodium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Afkhami, Abbas, E-mail: afkhami@basu.ac.ir; Bahiraei, Atousa; Madrakian, Tayyebeh

    2016-02-01

    A simple and highly sensitive sensor for the determination of diclofenac sodium based on gold nanoparticle/multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode is reported. Scanning electron microscopy along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry was used to characterize the nanostructure and performance of the sensor and the results were compared with those obtained at the multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode and bare glassy carbon electrode. Under the optimized experimental conditions diclofenac sodium gave linear response over the range of 0.03–200 μmol L{sup −1}. The lower detection limits were found to be 0.02 μmol L{sup −1}. The effect of common interferences on the current response of DS was investigated. The practical application of the modified electrode was demonstrated by measuring the concentration of diclofenac sodium in urine and pharmaceutical samples. This revealed that the gold nanoparticle/multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode shows excellent analytical performance for the determination of diclofenac sodium in terms of a very low detection limit, high sensitivity, very good accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility. - Highlights: • GCE was modified with multiwalled carbon nanotube and gold nanoparticles. • AuNP/MWCNT/GCE was used for the determination of diclofenac sodium. • Modified electrode was characterized by SEM, EDS and EIS. • The proposed method showed excellent analytical figures of merit. • This sensor was used for the determination of diclofenac sodium in real samples.

  11. Probe Sensor Using Nanostructured Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Yarn for Selective and Sensitive Detection of Dopamine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wed Al-Graiti

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The demands for electrochemical sensor materials with high strength and durability in physiological conditions continue to grow and novel approaches are being enabled by the advent of new electromaterials and novel fabrication technologies. Herein, we demonstrate a probe-style electrochemical sensor using highly flexible and conductive multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT yarns. The MWNT yarn-based sensors can be fabricated onto micro Pt-wire with a controlled diameter varying from 100 to 300 µm, and then further modified with Nafion via a dip-coating approach. The fabricated micro-sized sensors were characterized by electron microscopy, Raman, FTIR, electrical, and electrochemical measurements. For the first time, the MWNT/Nafion yarn-based probe sensors have been assembled and assessed for high-performance dopamine sensing, showing a significant improvement in both sensitivity and selectivity in dopamine detection in presence of ascorbic acid and uric acid. It offers the potential to be further developed as implantable probe sensors.

  12. Cobalt hexacyanoferrate modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes/graphite composite electrode as electrochemical sensor on microfluidic chip

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xinchun; Chen Zuanguang; Zhong Yuwen; Yang Fan; Pan Jianbin; Liang Yajing

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► CoHCF nanoparticles modified MWCNTs/graphite electrode use for electrochemistry on electrophoresis microchip for the first time. ► Simultaneous, rapid, and sensitive electrochemical detection of hydrazine and isoniazid in real samples. ► An exemplary work of CME sensor assembly onto microchip for determination of analytes with environmental significance. ► Manifestation of the applicability and flexibility of CME sensor for electroanalysis on microfluidic chip. - Abstract: Nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensor has received significant interest. In this work, cobalt hexacyanoferrate modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes/graphite composite electrode was electrochemically prepared and exploited as an amperometric detector for microchip electrophoresis. The prepared sensor displayed rapid and sensitive response towards hydrazine and isoniazid oxidation, which was attributed to synergetic electrocatalytic effect of cobalt hexacyanoferrate and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The sensitivity enhancement with nearly two orders of magnitude was gained, compared with the bare carbon paste electrode, with the detection limit of 0.91 μM (S/N = 3) for hydrazine. Acceptable repeatability of the microanalysis system was verified by consecutive eleven injections of hydrazine without chip and electrode treatments, the RSDs for peak current and migration time were 3.4% and 2.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, well-shaped electrophoretic peaks were observed, mainly due to fast electron transfer of electroactive species on the modified electrode. The developed microchip-electrochemistry setup was successfully applied to the determination of hydrazine and isoniazid in river water and pharmaceutical preparation, respectively. Several merits of the novel electrochemical sensor coupled with microfluidic platform, such as comparative stability, easy fabrication and high sensitivity, hold great potential for hydrazine compounds assay in the lab-on-a-chip system.

  13. Imprinted propyl gallate electrochemical sensor based on graphene/single walled carbon nanotubes/sol-gel film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Guilin; Chi, Yu; Li, Lu; Liu, Shouhua; Kan, Xianwen

    2015-06-15

    A novel imprinted sol-gel electrochemical sensor for the determination of propyl gallate (PG) was developed based on a composite of graphene and single walled carbon nanotubes (GR-SWCNTs). It was fabricated by stepwise modifying GR-SWCNTs and molecularly imprinted polymers and stored in 0.10 mol L(-1) phosphate buffer solution pH 6.0, which endowed the sensor good sensitivity and selective recognition towards template molecules. The morphology and specific adsorption capacity of the sensor was characterized by scanning electron microscope and electrochemical methods, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, a linear range of the sensor to PG was 8.0 × 10(-8)-2.6 × 10(-3)mo lL(-1) with a limit of detection of 5.0 × 10(-8)mol L(-1) (S/N=3). The sensor exhibited specificity and selectivity towards template molecules as well as excellent reproducibility, regeneration and stability. Furthermore, the sensor could be applied to determine PG in edible oils, instant noodles and cookies with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. PALLADIUM DOPED TIN OXIDE BASED HYDROGEN GAS SENSORS FOR SAFETY APPLICATIONS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasthurirengan, S.; Behera, Upendra; Nadig, D. S.

    2010-01-01

    Hydrogen is considered to be a hazardous gas since it forms a flammable mixture between 4 to 75% by volume in air. Hence, the safety aspects of handling hydrogen are quite important. For this, ideally, highly selective, fast response, small size, hydrogen sensors are needed. Although sensors based on different technologies may be used, thin-film sensors based on palladium (Pd) are preferred due to their compactness and fast response. They detect hydrogen by monitoring the changes to the electrical, mechanical or optical properties of the films. We report the development of Pd-doped tin-oxide based gas sensors prepared on thin ceramic substrates with screen printed platinum (Pt) contacts and integrated nicrome wire heaters. The sensors are tested for their performances using hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixtures to a maximum of 4%H 2 in N 2 . The sensors detect hydrogen and their response times are less than a few seconds. Also, the sensor performance is not altered by the presence of helium in the test gas mixtures. By the above desired performance characteristics, field trials of these sensors have been undertaken. The paper presents the details of the sensor fabrication, electronic circuits, experimental setup for evaluation and the test results.

  15. Application of a sensor array based on capillary-attached conductive gas sensors for odor identification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahraminejad, Behzad; Basri, Shahnor; Isa, Maryam; Hambali, Zarida

    2010-01-01

    An electronic nose based on an array of capillary-attached conductive gas sensors was fabricated. The identification ability of the developed structure was investigated by employing different categories of simple and complex odor databases. Feature data sets were generated from the dynamic and steady state responses of the sensor array to the applied odor databases. Combinations of different feature extraction and classification methods were used to detect target gases. Validation of each technique was evaluated. Achievements of the study proved high classification rates of the fabricated e-nose in odor identification. It was indicated that gas identification is possible by applying the early selected portion of transient responses of the developed sensor array. The ability of the mentioned structure in analyzing gas mixtures was also investigated. The results presented high accuracy in the classification of gas mixtures

  16. Silicon microring refractometric sensor for atmospheric CO(2) gas monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mi, Guangcan; Horvath, Cameron; Aktary, Mirwais; Van, Vien

    2016-01-25

    We report a silicon photonic refractometric CO(2) gas sensor operating at room temperature and capable of detecting CO(2) gas at atmospheric concentrations. The sensor uses a novel functional material layer based on a guanidine polymer derivative, which is shown to exhibit reversible refractive index change upon absorption and release of CO(2) gas molecules, and does not require the presence of humidity to operate. By functionalizing a silicon microring resonator with a thin layer of the polymer, we could detect CO(2) gas concentrations in the 0-500ppm range with a sensitivity of 6 × 10(-9) RIU/ppm and a detection limit of 20ppm. The microring transducer provides a potential integrated solution in the development of low-cost and compact CO(2) sensors that can be deployed as part of a sensor network for accurate environmental monitoring of greenhouse gases.

  17. Enhanced performance in capacitive force sensors using carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposites with high dielectric properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Hyeyoung; Yoon, Hyungsuk; Ko, Youngpyo; Choi, Jaeyoo; Lee, Sang-Soo; Jeon, Insu; Kim, Jong-Ho; Kim, Heesuk

    2016-03-01

    Force sensors have attracted tremendous attention owing to their applications in various fields such as touch screens, robots, smart scales, and wearable devices. The force sensors reported so far have been mainly focused on high sensitivity based on delicate microstructured materials, resulting in low reproducibility and high fabrication cost that are limitations for wide applications. As an alternative, we demonstrate a novel capacitive-type force sensor with enhanced performance owing to the increased dielectric properties of elastomers and simple sensor structure. We rationally design dielectric elastomers based on alkylamine modified-multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites, which have a higher dielectric constant than pure PDMS. The alkylamine-MWCNTs show excellent dispersion in a PDMS matrix, thus leading to enhanced and reliable dielectric properties of the composites. A force sensor array fabricated with alkylamine-MWCNT/PDMS composites presents an enhanced response due to the higher dielectric constant of the composites than that of pure PDMS. This study is the first to report enhanced performance of capacitive force sensors by modulating the dielectric properties of elastomers. We believe that the disclosed strategy to improve the sensor performance by increasing the dielectric properties of elastomers has great potential in the development of capacitive force sensor arrays that respond to various input forces.Force sensors have attracted tremendous attention owing to their applications in various fields such as touch screens, robots, smart scales, and wearable devices. The force sensors reported so far have been mainly focused on high sensitivity based on delicate microstructured materials, resulting in low reproducibility and high fabrication cost that are limitations for wide applications. As an alternative, we demonstrate a novel capacitive-type force sensor with enhanced performance owing to the increased

  18. Solid electrolyte gas sensors based on cyclic voltammetry with one active electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jasinski, G; Jasinski, P, E-mail: gregor@biomed.eti.pg.gda.pl [Gdansk University of Technology, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunication and Informatics, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk (Poland)

    2011-10-29

    Solid state gas sensors are cost effective, small, rugged and reliable. Typically electrochemical solid state sensors operate in either potentiometric or amperometric mode. However, a lack of selectivity is sometimes a shortcoming of such sensors. It seems that improvements of selectivity can be obtained in case of the electrocatalytic sensors, which operate in cyclic voltammetry mode. Their working principle is based on acquisition of an electric current, while voltage ramp is applied to the sensor. The current-voltage response depends in a unique way on the type and concentration of ambient gas. Most electrocatalytic sensors have symmetrical structure. They are in a form of pellets with two electrodes placed on their opposite sides. Electrochemical reactions occur simultaneously on both electrodes. In this paper results for sensors with only one active electrode exposed to ambient gas are presented. The other electrode was isolated from ambient gas with dielectric sealing. This sensor construction allows application of advanced measuring procedures, which permit sensor regeneration acceleration. Experiments were conducted on Nasicon sensors. Properties of two sensors, one with one active electrode and second with symmetrical structure, used for the detection of mixtures of NO{sub 2} and synthetic air are compared.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  20. Synthesis and utilization of carbon nanotubes for fabrication of electrochemical biosensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawal, Abdulazeez T.

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Carbon nanotubes. - Highlights: • This review discusses synthesis and applications of carbon nanotubes sensors. • The review summarizes contributions of carbon nanotube to electrochemical biosensor. • Good electrical conductivity makes carbon nanotubes a good material for biosensors. • Carbon nanotubes promotes electron transfer that aids biosensing of biomolecules. - Abstract: This review summarizes the most recent contributions in the fabrication of carbon nanotubes-based electrochemical biosensors in recent years. It discusses the synthesis and application of carbon nanotubes to the assembly of carbon nanotube-based electrochemical sensors, its analytical performance and future expectations. An increasing number of reviews and publications involving carbon nanotubes sensors have been reported ever since the first design of carbon nanotube electrochemical biosensors. The large surface area and good electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes allow them to act as “electron wire” between the redox center of an enzyme or protein and an electrode's surface, which make them very excellent material for the design of electrochemical biosensors. Carbon nanotubes promote the different rapid electron transfers that facilitate accurate and selective detection of cytochrome-c, β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, hemoglobin and biomolecules, such as glucose, cholesterol, ascorbic acid, uric acid, dopamine pesticides, metals ions and hydrogen peroxide.

  1. Synthesis and utilization of carbon nanotubes for fabrication of electrochemical biosensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawal, Abdulazeez T., E-mail: abdul.lawal@yahoo.com

    2016-01-15

    Graphical abstract: Carbon nanotubes. - Highlights: • This review discusses synthesis and applications of carbon nanotubes sensors. • The review summarizes contributions of carbon nanotube to electrochemical biosensor. • Good electrical conductivity makes carbon nanotubes a good material for biosensors. • Carbon nanotubes promotes electron transfer that aids biosensing of biomolecules. - Abstract: This review summarizes the most recent contributions in the fabrication of carbon nanotubes-based electrochemical biosensors in recent years. It discusses the synthesis and application of carbon nanotubes to the assembly of carbon nanotube-based electrochemical sensors, its analytical performance and future expectations. An increasing number of reviews and publications involving carbon nanotubes sensors have been reported ever since the first design of carbon nanotube electrochemical biosensors. The large surface area and good electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes allow them to act as “electron wire” between the redox center of an enzyme or protein and an electrode's surface, which make them very excellent material for the design of electrochemical biosensors. Carbon nanotubes promote the different rapid electron transfers that facilitate accurate and selective detection of cytochrome-c, β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, hemoglobin and biomolecules, such as glucose, cholesterol, ascorbic acid, uric acid, dopamine pesticides, metals ions and hydrogen peroxide.

  2. MEMS device for mass market gas and chemical sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  3. Carbon nanotube-like materials in the exhaust from a diesel engine using gas oil/ethanol mixing fuel with catalysts and sulfur.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Shunsuke; Mori, Shinsuke

    2017-08-01

    Particulate matter from a diesel engine, including soot and carbon nanomaterials, was collected on a sampling holder and the structure of the materials was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As a result of employing gas oil/ethanol mixing fuel with sulfur and ferrocene/molybdenum as catalyst sources, formation of carbon nanotubes (CNT)-like materials in addition to soot was observed in the exhaust gas from a diesel engine. It was revealed that CNT-like materials were included among soot in our system only when the following three conditions were satisfied simultaneously: high ethanol fraction in fuel, high sulfur loading, and presence of catalyst sources in fuel. This study confirmed that if at least one of these three conditions was not satisfied, CNT-like materials were not observed in the exhaust from a diesel engine. These experimental results shown in this work provide insights into understanding CNT-like material formation mechanism in a diesel engine. Recent papers reported that carbon nanotube-like materials were included in the exhaust gas from engines, but conditions for carbon nanotube-like material formation have not been well studied. This work provides the required conditions for carbon nanotube-like material growth in a diesel engine, and this will be helpful for understanding the carbon nanotube-like material formation mechanism and taking countermeasures to preventing carbon nanotube-like material formation in a diesel engine.

  4. Thermosensitive gas flow sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berlicki, T.; Osadnik, S.; Prociow, E.

    1997-01-01

    Results of investigations on thermal gas flow sensor have been presented. The sensor consists of three thin film resistors Si+Ta. The circuit was designed in the form of two bridges; one of them serves for measurement of the heater temperature, the second one for the measurement of temperature difference of peripheral resistors. The measurement of output voltage versus the rate of nitrogen flow at various power levels dissipated at the heater and various temperatures have been made. The measurements were carried out in three versions; (a) at constant temperature of the heater, (b) at constant power dissipated in the heater, controlled by the power of the heater, (c) at constant temperature of the heater controlled by the power dissipated in the peripheral resistors of the sensor. Due to measurement range it is advantageous to stabilize the temperature of the heater, especially by means of the power supplied to the peripheral resistors. In this case the wider measurement range can be obtained. (author)

  5. Laser-engraved carbon nanotube paper for instilling high sensitivity, high stretchability, and high linearity in strain sensors

    KAUST Repository

    Xin, Yangyang

    2017-06-29

    There is an increasing demand for strain sensors with high sensitivity and high stretchability for new applications such as robotics or wearable electronics. However, for the available technologies, the sensitivity of the sensors varies widely. These sensors are also highly nonlinear, making reliable measurement challenging. Here we introduce a new family of sensors composed of a laser-engraved carbon nanotube paper embedded in an elastomer. A roll-to-roll pressing of these sensors activates a pre-defined fragmentation process, which results in a well-controlled, fragmented microstructure. Such sensors are reproducible and durable and can attain ultrahigh sensitivity and high stretchability (with a gauge factor of over 4.2 × 10(4) at 150% strain). Moreover, they can attain high linearity from 0% to 15% and from 22% to 150% strain. They are good candidates for stretchable electronic applications that require high sensitivity and linearity at large strains.

  6. Nanotube resonator devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Kenneth J; Zettl, Alexander K; Weldon, Jeffrey A

    2014-05-06

    A fully-functional radio receiver fabricated from a single nanotube is being disclosed. Simultaneously, a single nanotube can perform the functions of all major components of a radio: antenna, tunable band-pass filter, amplifier, and demodulator. A DC voltage source, as supplied by a battery, can power the radio. Using carrier waves in the commercially relevant 40-400 MHz range and both frequency and amplitude modulation techniques, successful music and voice reception has been demonstrated. Also disclosed are a radio transmitter and a mass sensor using a nanotube resonator device.

  7. Carbon nanotubes : from molecular to macroscopic sensors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wood, J.R.; Zhao, Qing; Frogley, M.D.; Meurs, E.R.; Prins, A.D.; Peijs, A.A.J.M.; Dunstan, D.J.; Wagner, H.D.

    2000-01-01

    The components that contribute to Raman spectral shifts of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT’s) embedded in polymer systems have been identified. The temperature dependence of the Raman shift can be separated into the temperature dependence of the nanotubes, the cohesive energy density of the

  8. Carbon nanotubes field-effect transistor for rapid detection of DHA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen Thi Thuy; Nguyen Duc Chien; Mai Anh Tuan

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents the development of DNA sensor based on a network carbon nanotubes field effect transistor (CNTFETs) for Escherichia coli bacteria detection. The DNA sequences were immobilized on single-walled carbon nanotubes of transistor CNTFETs by using absorption. The hybridization of the DNA probe sequences and complementary DNA strands was detected by electrical conductance change from the electron doping by DNA hybridization directly on the carbon nanotubes leading to the change in the metal-CNTs barrier energy through the modulation of the electrode work function of carbon nanotubes field effect transistor. The results showed that the response time of DNA sensor was approximately 1 min and the sensitivity of DNA sensor was at 0.565 μA/nM; the detection limit of the sensor was about 1 pM of E. coli bacteria sample. (author)

  9. Acoustic sensor for in-pile fuel rod fission gas release measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fourmentel, D.; Villard, J. F.; Ferrandis, J. Y.; Augereau, F.; Rosenkrantz, E.; Dierckx, M.

    2009-01-01

    We have developed a specific acoustic sensor to improve the knowledge of fission gas release in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) fuel rods when irradiated in materials testing reactors. In order to perform experimental programs related to the study of the fission gas release kinetics, the CEA (French Nuclear Energy Commission) acquired the ability to equip a pre-irradiated PWR fuel rod with three sensors, allowing the simultaneous on-line measurements of the following parameters: - fuel temperature with a centre-line thermocouple type C, - internal pressure with a specific counter-pressure sensor, - fraction of fission gas released in the fuel rod with an innovative acoustic sensor. The third detector is the subject of this paper. This original acoustic sensor has been designed to measure the molar mass and pressure of the gas contained in the fuel rod plenum. For in-pile instrumentation, the fraction of fission gas, such as Krypton and Xenon, in Helium, can be deduced online from this measurement. The principle of this acoustical sensor is the following: a piezoelectric transducer generates acoustic waves in a cavity connected to the fuel rod plenum. The acoustic waves are propagated and reflected in this cavity and then detected by the transducer. The data processing of the signal gives the velocity of the acoustic waves and their amplitude, which can be related respectively to the molar mass and to the pressure of the gas. The piezoelectric material of this sensor has been qualified in nuclear conditions (gamma and neutron radiations). The complete sensor has also been specifically designed to be implemented in materials testing reactors conditions. For this purpose some technical points have been studied in details: - fixing of the piezoelectric sample in a reliable way with a suitable signal transmission, - size of the gas cavity to avoid any perturbation of the acoustic waves, - miniaturization of the sensor because of narrow in-pile experimental devices

  10. Functionalised zinc oxide nanowire gas sensors: Enhanced NO(2) gas sensor response by chemical modification of nanowire surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waclawik, Eric R; Chang, Jin; Ponzoni, Andrea; Concina, Isabella; Zappa, Dario; Comini, Elisabetta; Motta, Nunzio; Faglia, Guido; Sberveglieri, Giorgio

    2012-01-01

    Surface coating with an organic self-assembled monolayer (SAM) can enhance surface reactions or the absorption of specific gases and hence improve the response of a metal oxide (MOx) sensor toward particular target gases in the environment. In this study the effect of an adsorbed organic layer on the dynamic response of zinc oxide nanowire gas sensors was investigated. The effect of ZnO surface functionalisation by two different organic molecules, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THMA) and dodecanethiol (DT), was studied. The response towards ammonia, nitrous oxide and nitrogen dioxide was investigated for three sensor configurations, namely pure ZnO nanowires, organic-coated ZnO nanowires and ZnO nanowires covered with a sparse layer of organic-coated ZnO nanoparticles. Exposure of the nanowire sensors to the oxidising gas NO(2) produced a significant and reproducible response. ZnO and THMA-coated ZnO nanowire sensors both readily detected NO(2) down to a concentration in the very low ppm range. Notably, the THMA-coated nanowires consistently displayed a small, enhanced response to NO(2) compared to uncoated ZnO nanowire sensors. At the lower concentration levels tested, ZnO nanowire sensors that were coated with THMA-capped ZnO nanoparticles were found to exhibit the greatest enhanced response. ΔR/R was two times greater than that for the as-prepared ZnO nanowire sensors. It is proposed that the ΔR/R enhancement in this case originates from the changes induced in the depletion-layer width of the ZnO nanoparticles that bridge ZnO nanowires resulting from THMA ligand binding to the surface of the particle coating. The heightened response and selectivity to the NO(2) target are positive results arising from the coating of these ZnO nanowire sensors with organic-SAM-functionalised ZnO nanoparticles.

  11. Exploratory procedures with carbon nanotube-based sensors for propellant degradation determinations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruffin, Paul B.; Edwards, Eugene; Brantley, Christina; McDonald, Brian

    2010-04-01

    Exploratory research is conducted at the US Army Aviation & Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) in order to perform assessments of the degradation of solid propellant used in rocket motors. Efforts are made to discontinue and/or minimize destructive methods and utilize nondestructive techniques to assure the quality and reliability of the weaponry's propulsion system. Collaborative efforts were successfully made between AMRDEC and NASA-Ames for potential add-on configurations to a previously designed sensor that AMRDEC plan to use for preliminary detection of off-gassing. Evaluations were made in order to use the design as the introductory component for the determination of shelf-life degradation rate of rocket motors. Previous and subsequent sensor designs utilize functionalized single-walled carbon nano-tubes (SWCNTs) as the key sensing element. On-going research is conducted to consider key changes that can be implemented (for the existing sensor design) such that a complete wireless sensor system design can be realized. Results should be a cost-saving and timely approach to enhance the Army's ability to develop methodologies for measuring weaponry off-gassing and simultaneously detecting explosives. Expectations are for the resulting sensors to enhance the warfighters' ability to simultaneously detect a greater variety of analytes. Outlined in this paper are the preliminary results that have been accomplished for this research. The behavior of the SWCNT sensor at storage temperatures is outlined, along with the initial sensor response to propellant related analytes. Preparatory computer-based programming routines and computer controlled instrumentation scenarios have been developed in order to subsequently minimize subjective interpretation of test results and provide a means for obtaining data that is reasonable and repetitively quantitative. Typical laboratory evaluation methods are likewise presented, and program limitations

  12. Optimal Synthesis of Horizontally Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Their Biofunctionalization for Biosensing Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawoon Jung

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available As an influential candidate for highly sensitive biomolecule sensor, which can capture disease related biomolecules, carbon nanotube is useful material due to its unique properties. To adopt as a sensing platform, it is strongly needed to find optimal refined synthetic condition. In order to find the optimal synthetic conditions of horizontally aligned CNT, we performed quantity control of the mixed gases of H2 and CH4 injected. We successfully find that the formation of amorphous-like carbon was critically affected by some gas condition such as the flow rate of injected gases and ratios of gas mixture. Moreover, it should be noted that our horizontally aligned carbon nanotube array platform developed would offer another potential in developing nanoscale light source, where light emission results from electron-hole carrier recombination.

  13. Characterization of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes for use in an enzymatic sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guadarrama-Fernández, Leonor; Chanona-Pérez, Jorge; Manzo-Robledo, Arturo; Calderón-Domínguez, Georgina; Martínez-Rivas, Adrián; Ortiz-López, Jaime; Vargas-García, Jorge Roberto

    2014-10-01

    Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have proven to be materials with great potential for the construction of biosensors. Development of fast, simple, and low cost biosensors to follow reactions in bioprocesses, or to detect food contaminants such as toxins, chemical compounds, and microorganisms, is presently an important research topic. This report includes microscopy and spectroscopy to characterize raw and chemically modified multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) synthesized by chemical vapor deposition with the intention of using them as the active transducer in bioprocessing sensors. MWCNT were simultaneously purified and functionalized by an acid mixture involving HNO3-H2SO4 and amyloglucosidase attached onto the chemically modified MWCNT surface. A 49.0% decrease in its enzymatic activity was observed. Raw, purified, and enzyme-modified MWCNTs were analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy and Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These studies confirmed purification and functionalization of the CNTs. Finally, cyclic voltammetry electrochemistry was used for electrical characterization of CNTs, which showed promising results that can be useful for construction of electrochemical biosensors applied to biological areas.

  14. Potentiometric chemical sensors from lignin-poly(propylene oxide) copolymers doped by carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudnitskaya, Alisa; Evtuguin, Dmitry V; Costa, Luis C; Graça, M Pedro F; Fernandes, António J S; Correia, M Rosario P; Gomes, M Teresa S R; Oliveira, J A B P

    2013-01-21

    Hardwood and softwood lignins obtained from industrial sulphite and kraft and laboratory oxygen-organosolv pulping processes were employed in co-polymerization with tolylene 2,4-diisocyanate terminated poly(propylene glycol). The obtained lignin-based polyurethanes were doped with 0.72 w/w% of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with the aim of increasing their electrical conductivity to the levels suitable for sensor applications. Effects of the polymer doping with MWCNTs were assessed using electrical impedance (EIS) and UV-Resonance Raman (UV-RR) spectroscopy. Potentiometric sensors were prepared by drop casting of liquid polymer on the surface of carbon glass or platinum electrodes. Lignin-based sensors displayed a very low or no sensitivity to all alkali, alkali-earth and transition metal cations ions except Cr(VI) at pH 2. Response to Cr(VI) values of 39, 50 and 53 mV pX(-1) for the sensors based on kraft, organosolv and lignosulphonate lignins, respectively, were observed. Redox sensitivity values close to the theoretical values of 20 and 21 mV pX(-1) for organosolv and lignosulphonate based sensors respectively were detected in the Cr(III)/Cr(VI) solutions while a very low response was observed in the solutions containing Fe(CN)(6)(3-/4-). Conducting composite lignin-based polyurethanes doped with MWCNTs were suggested as being promising materials for Cr(VI)-sensitive potentiometric sensors.

  15. SnO2 Nanostructure as Pollutant Gas Sensors: Synthesis, Sensing Performances, and Mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian Yuliarto

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A significant amount of pollutants is produced from factories and motor vehicles in the form of gas. Their negative impact on the environment is well known; therefore detection with effective gas sensors is important as part of pollution prevention efforts. Gas sensors use a metal oxide semiconductor, specifically SnO2 nanostructures. This semiconductor is interesting and worthy of further investigation because of its many uses, for example, as lithium battery electrode, energy storage, catalyst, and transistor, and has potential as a gas sensor. In addition, there has to be a discussion of the use of SnO2 as a pollutant gas sensor especially for waste products such as CO, CO2, SO2, and NOx. In this paper, the development of the fabrication of SnO2 nanostructures synthesis will be described as it relates to the performances as pollutant gas sensors. In addition, the functionalization of SnO2 as a gas sensor is extensively discussed with respect to the theory of gas adsorption, the surface features of SnO2, the band gap theory, and electron transfer.

  16. Potential use of gas sensors in beef manure nutrient content ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The purpose of this study was to develop a gas sensor array to estimate the manure nutrient contents. Three metal-oxide gas sensors including methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide were used. Forty manure samples were collected from four beef operations in Southwest North Dakota. Manure samples were sent to be ...

  17. Electrochemical Determination of Glycoalkaloids Using a Carbon Nanotubes-Phenylboronic Acid Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huiying Wang

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available A versatile strategy for electrochemical determination of glycoalkaloids (GAs was developed by using a carbon nanotubes-phenylboronic acid (CNTs-PBA modified glassy carbon electrode. PBA reacts with α-solanine and α-chaconine to form a cyclic ester, which could be utilized to detect GAs. This method allowed GA detection from 1 μM to 28 μM and the detection limit was 0.3 μM. Affinity interaction of GAs and immobilized PBA caused an essential change of the peak current. The CNT-PBA modified electrodes were sensitive for detection of GAs, and the peak current values were in quite good agreement with those measured by the sensors.

  18. pH-dependence of the optical bio-sensor based on DNA-carbon nanotube

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vu Thuy Huong; Quach Kha Quang; Tran Thanh Thuy; Phan Duc Anh; Ngo Van Thanh; Nguyen Ai Viet

    2010-01-01

    In 2006, Daniel A. Heller et al. [1] demonstrated that carbon nanotubes (CNNTs) wrapped with DNA can be placed inside living cells and detect trace amounts of harmful contaminants using near infrared light. This discovery could lead to new types of optical sensors and biomarkers at the sub cellular level. The working principle of this optical bio-sensor from DNA and CNNTs can be explained by a simple theoretical model which was introduced in [3]. In this paper, the pH-dependence of DNA and the pH-dependence of solution around CNNTs are shown by using data analysis method. By substituting them into the same model, the pH-dependence of DNA-wrapped CNNTs was elicited in this paper. The range of parameters for workable conditions of this bio-sensor was indicated that the solution should have pH from 6 to 9 and the concentration of ions should be more than a critical value. These results are according to the experimental data and the deduction about pH and salt concentration in solution. They are very useful as using such a new bio-sensor like this in living environment. (author)

  19. Cobalt hexacyanoferrate modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes/graphite composite electrode as electrochemical sensor on microfluidic chip

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Xinchun [School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 Waihuan East Road of Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Chen Zuanguang, E-mail: chenzg@mail.sysu.edu.cn [School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 Waihuan East Road of Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Zhong Yuwen, E-mail: yu0106@163.com [Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Guangdong Province, 176 Xingangxi, Guangzhou 510300 (China); Yang Fan; Pan Jianbin; Liang Yajing [School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 Waihuan East Road of Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006 (China)

    2012-01-13

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CoHCF nanoparticles modified MWCNTs/graphite electrode use for electrochemistry on electrophoresis microchip for the first time. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Simultaneous, rapid, and sensitive electrochemical detection of hydrazine and isoniazid in real samples. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An exemplary work of CME sensor assembly onto microchip for determination of analytes with environmental significance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Manifestation of the applicability and flexibility of CME sensor for electroanalysis on microfluidic chip. - Abstract: Nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensor has received significant interest. In this work, cobalt hexacyanoferrate modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes/graphite composite electrode was electrochemically prepared and exploited as an amperometric detector for microchip electrophoresis. The prepared sensor displayed rapid and sensitive response towards hydrazine and isoniazid oxidation, which was attributed to synergetic electrocatalytic effect of cobalt hexacyanoferrate and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The sensitivity enhancement with nearly two orders of magnitude was gained, compared with the bare carbon paste electrode, with the detection limit of 0.91 {mu}M (S/N = 3) for hydrazine. Acceptable repeatability of the microanalysis system was verified by consecutive eleven injections of hydrazine without chip and electrode treatments, the RSDs for peak current and migration time were 3.4% and 2.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, well-shaped electrophoretic peaks were observed, mainly due to fast electron transfer of electroactive species on the modified electrode. The developed microchip-electrochemistry setup was successfully applied to the determination of hydrazine and isoniazid in river water and pharmaceutical preparation, respectively. Several merits of the novel electrochemical sensor coupled with microfluidic platform, such as comparative stability, easy fabrication and

  20. Analysis of Simulated Output Characteristics of Gas Sensor Based on Graphene Nanoribbon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Mahmoudi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This work presents simulated output characteristics of gas sensor transistors based on graphene nanoribbon (GNRFET. The device studied in this work is a new generation of gas sensing devices, which are easy to use, ultracompact, ultrasensitive, and highly selective. We will explain how the exposure to the gas changes the conductivity of graphene nanoribbon. The equations of the GNRFET gas sensor model include the Poisson equation in the weak nonlocality approximation with proposed sensing parameters. As we have developed this model as a platform for a gas detection sensor, we will analyze the current-voltage characteristics after exposure of the GNRFET nanosensor device to NH3 gas. A sensitivity of nearly 2.7% was indicated in our sensor device after exposure of 1 ppm of NH3. The given results make GNRFET the right candidate for use in gas sensing/measuring appliances. Thus, we will investigate the effect of the channel length on the ON- and OFF-current.

  1. Carbon Nanotubes as Optical Sensors in Biomedicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrera, Consol; Torres Andón, Fernando; Feliu, Neus

    2017-11-28

    Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have become potential candidates for a wide range of medical applications including sensing, imaging, and drug delivery. Their photophysical properties (i.e., the capacity to emit in the near-infrared), excellent photostability, and fluorescence, which is highly sensitive to the local environment, make SWCNTs promising optical probes in biomedicine. In this Perspective, we discuss the existing strategies for and challenges of using carbon nanotubes for medical diagnosis based on intracellular sensing as well as discuss also their biocompatibility and degradability. Finally, we highlight the potential improvements of this nanotechnology and future directions in the field of carbon nanotubes for biomedical applications.

  2. Sensing Properties of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Grown in MW Plasma Torch: Electronic and Electrochemical Behavior, Gas Sensing, Field Emission, IR Absorption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petra Majzlíková

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (VA-MWCNTs with an average diameter below 80 nm and a thickness of the uniform VA-MWCNT layer of about 16 µm were grown in microwave plasma torch and tested for selected functional properties. IR absorption important for a construction of bolometers was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Basic electrochemical characterization was performed by cyclic voltammetry. Comparing the obtained results with the standard or MWCNT‑modified screen-printed electrodes, the prepared VA-MWCNT electrodes indicated their high potential for the construction of electrochemical sensors. Resistive CNT gas sensor revealed a good sensitivity to ammonia taking into account room temperature operation. Field emission detected from CNTs was suitable for the pressure sensing application based on the measurement of emission current in the diode structure with bending diaphragm. The advantages of microwave plasma torch growth of CNTs, i.e., fast processing and versatility of the process, can be therefore fully exploited for the integration of surface-bound grown CNTs into various sensing structures.

  3. Nanostructured ZnO films for potential use in LPG gas sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  4. Analysis of nanowire transistor based nitrogen dioxide gas sensor – A simulation study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaurav Saxena

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Sensors sensitivity, selectivity and stability has always been a prime design concern for gas sensors designers. Modeling and simulation of gas sensors aids the designers in improving their performance. In this paper, different routes for the modeling and simulation of a semiconducting gas sensor is presented. Subsequently, by employing one of the route, the response of Zinc Oxide nanowire transistor towards nitrogen dioxide ambient is simulated. In addition to the sensing mechanism, simulation study of gas species desorption by applying a recovery voltage is also presented.

  5. Direction sensitive bending sensors based on multi-wall carbon nanotube/epoxy nanocomposites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wichmann, Malte H G; Buschhorn, Samuel T; Boeger, Lars; Schulte, Karl; Adelung, Rainer

    2008-01-01

    In the present work, a direction sensitive bending strain sensor consisting of a single block of epoxy/multi-wall carbon nanotube composite was developed. Moreover, the manufacturing could be realized in a straightforward single-step processing route. The directional sensitivity to bending deformations is related to the change in electrical resistance, which becomes positive or negative, depending on the direction of bending deflection. This effect is achieved by generating a gradient in electrical conductivity throughout the material. The resistance versus strain behaviour of these devices is investigated in detail and related to the microstructure of the nanocomposites.

  6. Study on the inside gas flow visualization of oxygen sensor cover; Kashika ni yoru O2 sensor cover nai no gas nagare hyoka

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hocho, S; Mitsuishi, Y; Inagaki, M [Nippon Soken, Inc., Tokyo (Japan); Hamaguchi, S; Mizusawa, K [Toyota Motor Corp., Aichi (Japan)

    1997-10-01

    In order to make clear the difference of the response time between the oxygen sensors with different protection covers, we visualized gas flow inside of sensor covers by means of two experimental methods: One is `Smoke Suspension Method` using liquid paraffin vapor as the smoke. With smoke suspension method, we detected the streamlines inside of the covers. The other is `Color Reaction Method` using the reaction of phenolphthalein and NH3 gas. With color reaction method, we confirmed the streamline inside of the cover and furthermore detected the difference of the response time of each sensor. 3 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

  7. Chemoresistive gas sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  8. Application of Ionic Liquids in Amperometric Gas Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gębicki, Jacek; Kloskowski, Adam; Chrzanowski, Wojciech; Stepnowski, Piotr; Namiesnik, Jacek

    2016-01-01

    This article presents an analysis of available literature data on metrological parameters of the amperometric gas sensors containing ionic liquids as an electrolyte. Four mechanism types of signal generation in amperometric sensors with ionic liquid are described. Moreover, this article describes the influence of selected physico-chemical properties of the ionic liquids on the metrological parameters of these sensors. Some metrological parameters are also compared for amperometric sensors with GDE and SPE electrodes and with ionic liquids for selected analytes.

  9. Highly versatile fiber-based optical Fabry-Pérot gas sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jing; Sun, Yuze; Fan, Xudong

    2009-02-16

    We develop a versatile, compact, and sensitive fiber-based optical Fabry-Pérot (FP) gas sensor. The sensor probe is composed of a silver layer and a vapor-sensitive polymer layer that are sequentially deposited on the cleaved fiber endface, thus forming an FP cavity. The interference spectrum resulting from the reflected light at the silver-polymer and polymer-air interfaces changes when the polymer is exposed to gas analytes. This structure enables using any polymer regardless of the polymer refractive index (RI), which significantly enhances the sensor versatility. In experiments, we use polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 (RI=1.465-1.469) and Norland Optical Adhesive (NOA) 81 (RI=1.53-1.56) as the gas sensing polymer and show drastically different sensor response to hexanol, methanol, and acetone. The estimated sensitivity for methanol vapor is 3.5 pm/ppm and 0.1 pm/ppm for PEG 400 and NOA 81, respectively, with a detection limit on the order of 1-10 ppm. Gas sensing for the analytes delivered in both continuous flow mode and pulsed mode is demonstrated.

  10. Direct integration of carbon nanotubes in Si microstructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aasmundtveit, Knut E; Ta, Bao Q; Halvorsen, Einar; Hoivik, Nils; Lin, Liwei

    2012-01-01

    In this paper we present a low-cost, room-temperature process for integrating carbon nanotubes on Si microsystems. The process uses localized resistive heating by controlling current through suspended microbridges, to provide local temperatures high enough for CVD growth of carbon nanotubes. Locally grown carbon nanotubes make electrical connections through guidance by electric fields, thus eventually making circuits. The process is scalable to a wafer level batch process. Furthermore, it is controlled electrically, thus enabling automated control. Direct integration of carbon nanotubes in microstructures has great promise for nano-functional devices, such as ultrasensitive chemical sensors. Initial measurements demonstrate the Si–carbon nanotube–Si circuit's potential as a NH 3 sensor. (paper)

  11. Control of Pre-treatment for Carbon Nanotube Synthesis Using Proton Ion Beam Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Y. H.; Kim, D. W.; Lee, S. M.; Kim, W. J.

    2008-04-01

    The carbon nanotubes are the next generation material in fuel storage system, the gas sensor, the life science sensor or the nano-size transistor, the stiffener and the heat dissipation field. For use at appropriate position in various field, it must be developed that control technique makes carbon nanotubes with high performance synthesized at appropriate location. The density of the carbon nanotube is 1 - 2g/cm3 with aluminum (2 - 3g/cm3) to be light, the elastic modulus is the level where as many of as 30 - 50 times of iron's elastic modulus and thermal conductivity is similar to the diamond, electric conductivity is high as well above the metal. Generally, many researchers have tried to synthesize the carbon nanotubes of mm length unit using the hydrogen and porous substrate, which play a role of more activating the catalyst. The proton beam which consist of H+ was able to directly inject the hydrogen into target materials such as Ni, Co, Fe as well as transfer high activation energy to them. so we were able to carry out feasibility of controlling the porosity of thin film and substrate to synthesize carbon nanotubes. The pre-treatment method of existing which is used generally heat treatment and the ammonia controls has generated island of catalyst which has increased the surface to react the hydrocarbon. However, pre-treatment method of existing caused the random nuclear creation so it was hard to control the island size of catalyst. It was not enough to understand the porous effect against synthesis of carbon nanotubes deduced from altering various substrates. In this report, it is possible investigate how hydrogen and the porous effect influence on growth of carbon nanotubes through controlling the nuclear creation of catalysts directly and the porosity of them using proton beam

  12. Poisson effect enhances compression force sensing with oxidized carbon nanotube network/polyurethane sensor

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Slobodian, P.; Říha, Pavel; Olejník, R.; Matyáš, J.; Kovář, M.

    2018-01-01

    Roč. 271 (2018), s. 76-82 ISSN 0924-4247 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ED2.1.00/19.0409 Grant - others:Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy (MŠMT)(CZ) LO1504; TBU in Zlin(CZ) IGA/CPS/2015/001 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : compression force sensor * carbon nanotubes * polyurethane * polymer composite * nanocracks Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics OBOR OECD: Nano-processes (applications on nano-scale) Impact factor: 2.499, year: 2016

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sangchoel Kim

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  14. Oxidation of Carbon Nanotubes in an Ionizing Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Ai Leen; Gidcumb, Emily; Zhou, Otto; Sinclair, Robert

    2016-02-10

    In this work, we present systematic studies on how an illuminating electron beam which ionizes molecular gas species can influence the mechanism of carbon nanotube oxidation in an environmental transmission electron microscope (ETEM). We found that preferential attack of the nanotube tips is much more prevalent than for oxidation in a molecular gas environment. We establish the cumulative electron doses required to damage carbon nanotubes from 80 keV electron beam irradiation in gas versus in high vacuum. Our results provide guidelines for the electron doses required to study carbon nanotubes within or without a gas environment, to determine or ameliorate the influence of the imaging electron beam. This work has important implications for in situ studies as well as for the oxidation of carbon nanotubes in an ionizing environment such as that occurring during field emission.

  15. Steady-state modelling of the universal exhaust gas oxygen (UEGO) sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collings, N; Hegarty, K; Ramsander, T

    2012-01-01

    The universal exhaust gas oxygen (UEGO) sensor is a well-established device which was developed for the measurement of relative air fuel ratio in internal combustion engines. There is, however, little information available which allows for the prediction of the UEGO's behaviour when exposed to arbitrary gas mixtures, pressures and temperatures. Here we present a steady-state model for the sensor, based on a solution of the Stefan–Maxwell equation, and which includes a momentum balance. The response of the sensor is dominated by a diffusion barrier, which controls the rate of diffusion of gas species between the exhaust and a cavity. Determination of the diffusion barrier characteristics, especially the mean pore size, porosity and tortuosity, is essential for the purposes of modelling, and a measurement technique based on identification of the sensor pressure giving zero temperature sensitivity is shown to be a convenient method of achieving this. The model, suitably calibrated, is shown to make good predictions of sensor behaviour for large variations of pressure, temperature and gas composition. (paper)

  16. Characterization and calibration of gas sensor systems at ppb level—a versatile test gas generation system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leidinger, Martin; Schultealbert, Caroline; Neu, Julian; Schütze, Andreas; Sauerwald, Tilman

    2018-01-01

    This article presents a test gas generation system designed to generate ppb level gas concentrations from gas cylinders. The focus is on permanent gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for applications like indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring or breath analysis. In the design and the setup of the system, several issues regarding handling of trace gas concentrations have been considered, addressed and tested. This concerns not only the active fluidic components (flow controllers, valves), which have been chosen specifically for the task, but also the design of the fluidic tubing regarding dead volumes and delay times, which have been simulated for the chosen setup. Different tubing materials have been tested for their adsorption/desorption characteristics regarding naphthalene, a highly relevant gas for indoor air quality monitoring, which has generated high gas exchange times in a previous gas mixing system due to long time adsorption/desorption effects. Residual gas contaminations of the system and the selected carrier air supply have been detected and quantified using both an analytical method (GC-MS analysis according to ISO 16000-6) and a metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor, which detected a maximum contamination equivalent to 28 ppb of carbon monoxide. A measurement strategy for suppressing even this contamination has been devised, which allows the system to be used for gas sensor and gas sensor system characterization and calibration in the low ppb concentration range.

  17. Planar Laser-Based QEPAS Trace Gas Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yufei Ma

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A novel quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS trace gas detection scheme is reported in this paper. A cylindrical lens was employed for near-infrared laser focusing. The laser beam was shaped as a planar line laser between the gap of the quartz tuning fork (QTF prongs. Compared with a spherical lens-based QEPAS sensor, the cylindrical lens-based QEPAS sensor has the advantages of easier laser beam alignment and a reduction of stringent stability requirements. Therefore, the reported approach is useful in long-term and continuous sensor operation.

  18. Compact portable QEPAS multi-gas sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Lei; Kosterev, Anatoliy A.; Thomazy, David; Tittel, Frank K.

    2011-01-01

    A quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) based multi-gas sensor was developed to quantify concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), hydrogen chloride (HCl), and carbon dioxide (CO2) in ambient air. The sensor consists of a compact package of dimensions 25cm x 25cm x 10cm and was designed to operate at atmospheric pressure. The HCN, CO2, and HCl measurement channels are based on cw, C-band telecommunication-style packaged, fiber-coupled diode lasers, while the CO channel uses a TO can-packaged Sb diode laser as an excitation source. Moreover, the sensor incorporates rechargeable batteries and can operate on batteries for at least 8 hours. It can also operate autonomously or interact with another device (such as a computer) via a RS232 serial port. Trace gas detection limits of 7.74ppm at 4288.29cm-1 for CO, 450ppb at 6539.11 cm-1 for HCN, 1.48ppm at 5739.26 cm-1 for HCl and 97ppm at 6361.25 cm-1 for CO2 for a 1sec average time, were demonstrated.

  19. 3D printing of highly elastic strain sensors using polyurethane/multiwall carbon nanotube composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christ, Josef F.; Hohimer, Cameron J.; Aliheidari, Nahal; Ameli, Amir; Mo, Changki; Pötschke, Petra

    2017-04-01

    As the desire for wearable electronics increases and the soft robotics industry advances, the need for novel sensing materials has also increased. Recently, there have been many attempts at producing novel materials, which exhibit piezoresistive behavior. However, one of the major shortcomings in strain sensing technologies is in the fabrication of such sensors. While there is significant research and literature covering the various methods for developing piezoresistive materials, fabricating complex sensor platforms is still a manufacturing challenge. Here, we report a facile method to fabricate multidirectional embedded strain sensors using additive manufacturing technology. Pure thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and TPU/multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) nanocomposites were 3D printed in tandem using a low-cost multi-material FDM printer to fabricate uniaxial and biaxial strain sensors with conductive paths embedded within the insulative TPU platform. The sensors were then subjected to a series of cyclic strain loads. The results revealed excellent piezoresistive responses of the sensors with cyclic repeatability in both the axial and transverse directions and in response to strains as high as 50%. Further, while strain-softening did occur in the embedded printed strain sensors, it was predictable and similar to the results found in the literature for bulk polymer nanocomposites. This works demonstrates the possibility of manufacturing embedded and multidirectional flexible strain sensors using an inexpensive and versatile method, with potential applications in soft robotics and flexible electronics and health monitoring.

  20. Flexible Graphene-Based Wearable Gas and Chemical Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Eric; Meyyappan, M; Nalwa, Hari Singh

    2017-10-11

    Wearable electronics is expected to be one of the most active research areas in the next decade; therefore, nanomaterials possessing high carrier mobility, optical transparency, mechanical robustness and flexibility, lightweight, and environmental stability will be in immense demand. Graphene is one of the nanomaterials that fulfill all these requirements, along with other inherently unique properties and convenience to fabricate into different morphological nanostructures, from atomically thin single layers to nanoribbons. Graphene-based materials have also been investigated in sensor technologies, from chemical sensing to detection of cancer biomarkers. The progress of graphene-based flexible gas and chemical sensors in terms of material preparation, sensor fabrication, and their performance are reviewed here. The article provides a brief introduction to graphene-based materials and their potential applications in flexible and stretchable wearable electronic devices. The role of graphene in fabricating flexible gas sensors for the detection of various hazardous gases, including nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), ammonia (NH 3 ), hydrogen (H 2 ), hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and humidity in wearable technology, is discussed. In addition, applications of graphene-based materials are also summarized in detecting toxic heavy metal ions (Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Ag), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including nitrobenzene, toluene, acetone, formaldehyde, amines, phenols, bisphenol A (BPA), explosives, chemical warfare agents, and environmental pollutants. The sensitivity, selectivity and strategies for excluding interferents are also discussed for graphene-based gas and chemical sensors. The challenges for developing future generation of flexible and stretchable sensors for wearable technology that would be usable for the Internet of Things (IoT) are also highlighted.

  1. On-chip growth of semiconductor metal oxide nanowires for gas sensors: A review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chu Manh Hung

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Semiconductor metal oxide nanowires (SMO-NWs show great potential for novel gas sensor applications because of their distinct properties, such as a high surface area to volume aspect ratio, high crystallinity and perfect pathway for electron transfer (length of NW. SMO-NW sensors can be configured as resistors or field-effect transistors for gas detection and different configurations, such as a single NW, multiple NWs, and networked NW films, have been established. Surface-functionalizing NWs with catalyst elements and self-heating NWs provide additional advantages for highly selective and low-power consumption gas sensors. However, an appropriate design of SMO-NWs is of practical importance in enhancing the gas-sensing performance of SMO-NW sensors. The on-chip growth of SMO-NWs possesses many advantages which can thus be effectively used for the large-scale fabrication of SMO-NW sensors with improved gas response and stability. This review aims to provide up-to-date information on the on-chip fabrication of SnO2, ZnO, WO3, CuO, and other SMO-NW sensors. It also discusses a variety of promising approaches that help advance the on-chip fabrication of SMO-NW-based gas sensors and other NW-based devices.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prabir K. Dutta

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  3. Gold nanoparticle/multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode as a sensitive voltammetric sensor for the determination of diclofenac sodium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afkhami, Abbas; Bahiraei, Atousa; Madrakian, Tayyebeh

    2016-02-01

    A simple and highly sensitive sensor for the determination of diclofenac sodium based on gold nanoparticle/multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode is reported. Scanning electron microscopy along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry was used to characterize the nanostructure and performance of the sensor and the results were compared with those obtained at the multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode and bare glassy carbon electrode. Under the optimized experimental conditions diclofenac sodium gave linear response over the range of 0.03-200μmolL(-1). The lower detection limits were found to be 0.02μmolL(-1). The effect of common interferences on the current response of DS was investigated. The practical application of the modified electrode was demonstrated by measuring the concentration of diclofenac sodium in urine and pharmaceutical samples. This revealed that the gold nanoparticle/multiwalled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode shows excellent analytical performance for the determination of diclofenac sodium in terms of a very low detection limit, high sensitivity, very good accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Development of a detection sensor for lethal H2S gas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Young-Ho; Kim, Yong-Jae; Lee, Chang-Seop

    2012-07-01

    The gas which may be lethal to human body with short-term exposure in common industrial fields or workplaces in LAB may paralyze the olfactory sense and impose severe damages to central nervous system and lung. This study is concerned with the gas sensor which allows individuals to avoid the toxic gas that may be generated in the space with residues of organic wastes under 50 degrees C or above. This study investigates response and selectivity of the sensor to hydrogen sulfide gas with operating temperatures and catalysts. The thick-film semiconductor sensor for hydrogen sulfide gas detection was fabricated WO3/SnO2 prepared by sol-gel and precipitation methods. The nanosized SnO2 powder mixed with the various metal oxides (WO3, TiO2, and ZnO) and doped with transition metals (Au, Ru, Pd Ag and In). Particle sizes, specific surface areas and phases of sensor materials were investigated by SEM, BET and XRD analyses. The metal-WO3/SnO2 thick films were prepared by screen-printing method. The measured response to hydrogen sulfide gas is defined as the ratio (Ra/R,) of the resistance of WO3ISnO2 film in air to the resistance of WO3/SnO2 film in a hydrogen sulfide gas. It was shown that the highest response and selectivity of the sensor for hydrogen sulfide by doping with 1 wt% Ru and 10 wt% WO3 to SnO2 at the optimum operating temperature of 200 degrees C.

  5. Self-assembled micro-structured sensors for food safety in paper based food packaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hakovirta, M., E-mail: marko.hakovirta@storaenso.com; Aksoy, B.; Hakovirta, J.

    2015-08-01

    Natural self-assembled microstructured particles (diatomaceous earth) were used to develop a gas sensor paper with detection mechanism based on visible and distinct color changes of the sensor paper when exposed to volatile basic nitrogen compounds. The coating formulation for paper was prepared by applying diatomites, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and pH sensitive dyes on acidic paper substrate. The surface coating was designed to allow a maximum gas flow through the diatomite sensors. The produced sensor paper was tested for sensitivity using different ammonia concentrations and we observed a sensitivity lower limit at 63 ppm. As a comparison, the results show comparable sensitivity levels to carbon nanotube based sensor technologies reported in literature. - Highlights: • Novel sensor paper was developed using micro-structured diatomaceous earth and pH sensitive dye. • The functionality is based on pH sensitive dye to indicate spoilage of meat or fish by color change. • Diatomaceous earth was successfully immobilized to the polyvinyl alcohol coating. • The coating was engineered to maximize the exposure of the diatom morphology. • The sensor paper achieved very high sensitivities for ammonia gas detection.

  6. Self-assembled micro-structured sensors for food safety in paper based food packaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hakovirta, M.; Aksoy, B.; Hakovirta, J.

    2015-01-01

    Natural self-assembled microstructured particles (diatomaceous earth) were used to develop a gas sensor paper with detection mechanism based on visible and distinct color changes of the sensor paper when exposed to volatile basic nitrogen compounds. The coating formulation for paper was prepared by applying diatomites, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and pH sensitive dyes on acidic paper substrate. The surface coating was designed to allow a maximum gas flow through the diatomite sensors. The produced sensor paper was tested for sensitivity using different ammonia concentrations and we observed a sensitivity lower limit at 63 ppm. As a comparison, the results show comparable sensitivity levels to carbon nanotube based sensor technologies reported in literature. - Highlights: • Novel sensor paper was developed using micro-structured diatomaceous earth and pH sensitive dye. • The functionality is based on pH sensitive dye to indicate spoilage of meat or fish by color change. • Diatomaceous earth was successfully immobilized to the polyvinyl alcohol coating. • The coating was engineered to maximize the exposure of the diatom morphology. • The sensor paper achieved very high sensitivities for ammonia gas detection

  7. Nanostructured Gas Sensors for Health Care: An Overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  8. A Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Network Gas Sensing Device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I-Ju Teng

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this research was to develop a chemical gas sensing device based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT networks. The SWCNT networks are synthesized on Al2O3-deposted SiO2/Si substrates with 10 nm-thick Fe as the catalyst precursor layer using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD. The development of interconnected SWCNT networks can be exploited to recognize the identities of different chemical gases by the strength of their particular surface adsorptive and desorptive responses to various types of chemical vapors. The physical responses on the surface of the SWCNT networks cause superficial changes in the electric charge that can be converted into electronic signals for identification. In this study, we tested NO2 and NH3 vapors at ppm levels at room temperature with our self-made gas sensing device, which was able to obtain responses to sensitivity changes with a concentration of 10 ppm for NO2 and 24 ppm for NH3.

  9. Optical Graphene Gas Sensors Based on Microfibers: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Wu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Graphene has become a bridge across optoelectronics, mechanics, and bio-chemical sensing due to its unique photoelectric characteristics. Moreover, benefiting from its two-dimensional nature, this atomically thick film with full flexibility has been widely incorporated with optical waveguides such as fibers, realizing novel photonic devices including polarizers, lasers, and sensors. Among the graphene-based optical devices, sensor is one of the most important branch, especially for gas sensing, as rapid progress has been made in both sensing structures and devices in recent years. This article presents a comprehensive and systematic overview of graphene-based microfiber gas sensors regarding many aspects including sensing principles, properties, fabrication, interrogating and implementations.

  10. New approach to synthesis of carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ha, Jong Keun; Choi, Kyo Hong; Cho, Kwon Koo; Kim, Ki Won; Nam, Tae Hyun; Ahn, Hyo Jun; Ahn, Jou Hyun; Cho, Gyu Bong

    2007-01-01

    Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been synthesized through chemical vapor deposition in argon gas atmosphere using Fe-2.5%Mo alloyed nanoparticles as a catalyst and H 2 /CH 4 gas mixture as a reaction gas. Fe-2.5 wt.%Mo alloyed nanoparticles with average diameter of 7, 20, 45 and 85 nm are prepared by the chemical vapor condensation process using the pyrolysis of iron pentacarbonyl (Fe(CO) 5 ) and molybdenum hexacarbonyl (Mo(CO) 6 ). The morphologies of the CNTs are controlled by adjusting the nanoparticle size, reaction gas ratio and reaction temperature. With decreasing nanoparticle size under the same experimental conditions, the degree of crystalline perfection increases gradually and the morphologies of the carbon nanotubes vary from multi wall carbon nanotubes to single wall carbon nanotubes. Also, the ratio of reaction gas has an effect on the morphology and the degree of crystallinity of CNTs. In this work, it is suggested that morphology, diameter and degree of crystallinity of CNTs could be controlled by adjusting the reaction gas ratio, reaction temperature and catalyst size

  11. Utilizing the response patterns of a temperature modulated chemoresistive gas sensor for gas diagnosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amini, Amir; Ghafarinia, Vahid

    2011-01-01

    The observed features in the temporal response patterns of a temperature-modulated chemoresistive gas sensor were used for gas diagnosis. The patterns were recorded for clean air and air contaminated with different levels of some volatile organic compounds while a staircase heating voltage waveform had been applied to the microheater of a tin oxide gas sensor that modulated its operating temperature. Combining the steady-state and transient parameters of the recorded responses in the 50-400 deg. C range resulted in discriminatory feature vectors which were utilized for contaminant classification. The information content of these feature vectors was proved sufficient for discrimination of methanol, ethanol, 1-butanol, and acetone contaminations in a wide concentration range.

  12. Utilizing the response patterns of a temperature modulated chemoresistive gas sensor for gas diagnosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amini, Amir [Jannatabad College, Sama Organization, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghafarinia, Vahid, E-mail: amir.amini.elec@gmail.com, E-mail: ghafarinia@ee.kntu.ac.ir [Electrical Engineering Department, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2011-02-15

    The observed features in the temporal response patterns of a temperature-modulated chemoresistive gas sensor were used for gas diagnosis. The patterns were recorded for clean air and air contaminated with different levels of some volatile organic compounds while a staircase heating voltage waveform had been applied to the microheater of a tin oxide gas sensor that modulated its operating temperature. Combining the steady-state and transient parameters of the recorded responses in the 50-400 deg. C range resulted in discriminatory feature vectors which were utilized for contaminant classification. The information content of these feature vectors was proved sufficient for discrimination of methanol, ethanol, 1-butanol, and acetone contaminations in a wide concentration range.

  13. Carbon Nanotube-Based Ion Selective Sensors for Wearable Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Soumyendu; David-Pur, Moshe; Hanein, Yael

    2017-10-11

    Wearable electronics offer new opportunities in a wide range of applications, especially sweat analysis using skin sensors. A fundamental challenge in these applications is the formation of sensitive and stable electrodes. In this article we report the development of a wearable sensor based on carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode arrays for sweat sensing. Solid-state ion selective electrodes (ISEs), sensitive to Na + ions, were prepared by drop coating plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) doped with ionophore and ion exchanger on CNT electrodes. The ion selective membrane (ISM) filled the intertubular spaces of the highly porous CNT film and formed an attachment that was stronger than that achieved with flat Au, Pt, or carbon electrodes. Concentration of the ISM solution used influenced the attachment to the CNT film, the ISM surface morphology, and the overall performance of the sensor. Sensitivity of 56 ± 3 mV/decade to Na + ions was achieved. Optimized solid-state reference electrodes (REs), suitable for wearable applications, were prepared by coating CNT electrodes with colloidal dispersion of Ag/AgCl, agarose hydrogel with 0.5 M NaCl, and a passivation layer of PVC doped with NaCl. The CNT-based REs had low sensitivity (-1.7 ± 1.2 mV/decade) toward the NaCl solution and high repeatability and were superior to bare Ag/AgCl, metals, carbon, and CNT films, reported previously as REs. CNT-based ISEs were calibrated against CNT-based REs, and the short-term stability of the system was tested. We demonstrate that CNT-based devices implemented on a flexible support are a very attractive platform for future wearable technology devices.

  14. Static and Dynamic Strain Monitoring of Reinforced Concrete Components through Embedded Carbon Nanotube Cement-Based Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonella D’Alessandro

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents a study on the use of cement-based sensors doped with carbon nanotubes as embedded smart sensors for static and dynamic strain monitoring of reinforced concrete (RC elements. Such novel sensors can be used for the monitoring of civil infrastructures. Because they are fabricated from a structural material and are easy to utilize, these sensors can be integrated into structural elements for monitoring of different types of constructions during their service life. Despite the scientific attention that such sensors have received in recent years, further research is needed to understand (i the repeatability and accuracy of sensors’ behavior over a meaningful number of sensors, (ii testing configurations and calibration methods, and (iii the sensors’ ability to provide static and dynamic strain measurements when actually embedded in RC elements. To address these research needs, this paper presents a preliminary characterization of the self-sensing capabilities and the dynamic properties of a meaningful number of cement-based sensors and studies their application as embedded sensors in a full-scale RC beam. Results from electrical and electromechanical tests conducted on small and full-scale specimens using different electrical measurement methods confirm that smart cement-based sensors show promise for both static and vibration-based structural health monitoring applications of concrete elements but that calibration of each sensor seems to be necessary.

  15. Electrochemical sensors and biosensors based on redox polymer/carbon nanotube modified electrodes: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barsan, Madalina M; Ghica, M Emilia; Brett, Christopher M A

    2015-06-30

    The aim of this review is to present the contributions to the development of electrochemical sensors and biosensors based on polyphenazine or polytriphenylmethane redox polymers together with carbon nanotubes (CNT) during recent years. Phenazine polymers have been widely used in analytical applications due to their inherent charge transport properties and electrocatalytic effects. At the same time, since the first report on a CNT-based sensor, their application in the electroanalytical chemistry field has demonstrated that the unique structure and properties of CNT are ideal for the design of electrochemical (bio)sensors. We describe here that the specific combination of phenazine/triphenylmethane polymers with CNT leads to an improved performance of the resulting sensing devices, because of their complementary electrical, electrochemical and mechanical properties, and also due to synergistic effects. The preparation of polymer/CNT modified electrodes will be presented together with their electrochemical and surface characterization, with emphasis on the contribution of each component on the overall properties of the modified electrodes. Their importance in analytical chemistry is demonstrated by the numerous applications based on polymer/CNT-driven electrocatalytic effects, and their analytical performance as (bio) sensors is discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. THIN FILM-BASED SENSOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLE EXHAUST GAS, NH3, AND CO DETECTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Sujarwata

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available A copper phthalocyanine (CuPc thin film based gas sensor with FET structure and channel length 100 μm has been prepared by VE method and lithography technique to detect NH3, motor cycle exhaust gases and CO. CuPc material layer was deposited on SiO2 by the vacuum evaporator (VE method at room temperature and pressure of 8 x10-4 Pa. The stages of manufacturing gas sensor were Si/SiO2 substrate blenching with ethanol in an ultrasonic cleaner, source, and drain electrodes deposition on the substrate by using a vacuum evaporator, thin film deposition between the source/drain and gate deposition. The sensor response times to NH3, motorcycle exhaust gases and CO were 75 s, 135 s, and 150, respectively. The recovery times were 90 s, 150 s and 225, respectively. It is concluded that the CuPc thin film-based gas sensor with FET structure is the best sensor to detect the NH3 gas.Sensor gas berbasis film tipis copper phthalocyanine (CuPc berstruktur FET dengan panjang channel 100 μm telah dibuatdengan metode VE dan teknik lithography untuk mendeteksi NH3 gas buang kendaraan bermotor dan CO. Lapisan bahan CuPc dideposisikan pada permukaan silikon dioksida (SiO2 dengan metode vacuum evaporator (VE pada temperatur ruang dengan tekanan 8 x10-4 Pa. Tahapan pembuatan sensor gas adalah pencucian substrat Si/SiO2 dengan etanol dalam ultrasonic cleaner, deposisi elektroda source dan drain di atas substrat dengan metode vacuum evaporator, deposisi film tipis diantara source/drain dan deposisi gate. Waktu tanggap sensor terhadap NH3, gas buang kendaraan bermotor dan CO berturut-turut adalah 75 s, 135 s,dan 150 s. Waktu pemulihan berturut-turut adalah 90 s, 150 s,dan 225 s. Disimpulkan bahwa sensor gas berstruktur FET berbasis film tipis CuPc merupakan sensor paling baik untuk mendeteksi adanya gas NH3.

  17. Smart gas sensors for mitigating environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azad, A.M.

    1997-01-01

    From the viewpoint of industrial and automobile exhaust pollution control sensors capable of detecting and metering the concentration of harmful gasers such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen, hydrocarbons, NO sub x, SO sub x, etc, in the ambient are desired. Solid state gas sensors based on semiconducting metal oxides have been widely used for the detection and metering of a host of reducing gases, albeit with varying degrees of success. In this presentation, development aspects of new solid-state CO and H2 sensors are described. Benevolent effect of second phases and catalyst on the sensing characteristics, and the possible sensing mechanism are discussed. In the case of titania-based CO sensors, test results in a Ford V6 engine under programmed near-stoichiometric combustion conditions are also presented. Some new concepts in the area of reliable metering of humidity (water content) in the ambient are briefly highlighted. (author)

  18. Photodetector based on carbon nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlov, A.; Kitsyuk, E.; Ryazanov, R.; Timoshenkov, V.; Adamov, Y.

    2015-09-01

    Photodetector based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) was investigated. Sensors were done on quartz and silicon susbtrate. Samples of photodetectors sensors were produced by planar technology. This technology included deposition of first metal layer (Al), lithography for pads formation, etching, and formation of local catalyst area by inverse lithography. Vertically-aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes were directly synthesized on substrate by PECVD method. I-V analysis and spectrum sensitivity of photodetector were investigated for 0.4 μm - 1.2 μm wavelength. Resistivity of CNT layers over temperature was detected in the range of -20°C to 100°C.

  19. Bedside arterial blood gas monitoring system using fluorescent optical sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartnik, Daniel J.; Rymut, Russell A.

    1995-05-01

    We describe a bedside arterial blood gas (ABG) monitoring system which uses fluorescent optical sensors in the measurement of blood pH, PCO2 and PO2. The Point-of-Care Arterial Blood Gas Monitoring System consists of the SensiCathTM optical sensor unit manufactured by Optical Sensors Incorporated and the TramTM Critical Care Monitoring System with ABG Module manufactured by Marquette Electronics Incorporated. Current blood gas measurement techniques require a blood sample to be removed from the patient and transported to an electrochemical analyzer for analysis. The ABG system does not require removal of blood from the patient or transport of the sample. The sensor is added to the patient's existing arterial line. ABG measurements are made by drawing a small blood sample from the arterial line in sufficient quantity to ensure an undiluted sample at the sensor. Measurements of pH, PCO2 and PO2 are made within 60 seconds. The blood is then returned to the patient, the line flushed and results appear on the bedside monitor. The ABG system offers several advantages over traditional electrochemical analyzers. Since the arterial line remains closed during the blood sampling procedure the patient's risk of infection is reduced and the caregiver's exposure to blood is eliminated. The single-use, disposable sensor can be measure 100 blood samples over 72 hours after a single two-point calibration. Quality Assurance checks are also available and provide the caregiver the ability to assess system performance even after the sensor is patient attached. The ABG module integrates with an existing bedside monitoring system. This allows ABG results to appear on the same display as ECG, respiration, blood pressure, cardiac output, SpO2, and other clinical information. The small module takes up little space in the crowded intensive care unit. Performance studies compare the ABG system with an electrochemical blood gas analyzer. Study results demonstrated accurate and precise blood

  20. A Miniaturized Optical Sensor with Integrated Gas Cell

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ayerden, N.P.; Ghaderi, M.; De Graaf, G.; Wolffenbuttel, R.F.

    2015-01-01

    The design, fabrication and characterization of a highly integrated optical gas sensor is presented. The gas cell takes up most of the space in a microspectrometer and is the only component that has so far not been miniaturized. Using the tapered resonator cavity of a linear variable optical filter

  1. Rapid diagnosis of multidrug resistance in cancer by electrochemical sensor based on carbon nanotubes-drug supramolecular nanocomposites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Haijun; Jiang, Hui; Sun, Feifei; Wang, Huangping; Zhao, Juan; Chen, Baoan; Wang, Xuemei

    2011-03-15

    The multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer is a major chemotherapy obstacle, rendering many currently available chemotherapeutic drugs ineffective. The aim of this study was to explore the new strategy to early diagnose the MDR by electrochemical sensor based on carbon nanotubes-drug supramolecular interaction. The carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrodes (CNTs/GCE) were directly immersed into the cells suspension of the sensitive leukemia cells K562 and/or its MDR cells K562/A02 to detect the response of the electrochemical probe of daunorubicin (DNR) residues after incubated with cells for 1h. The fresh evidence from the electrochemical studies based on CNTs/GCE demonstrated that the homogeneous, label-free strategy could directly measure the function of cell membrane transporters in MDR cancer cells, identify the cell phenotype (sensitive or MDR). When the different ratios of the sensitive leukemia cells K562 and its MDR ones K562/A02 were applied as a model of MDR levels to simulate the MDR occurrence in cancer, the cathodic peak current showed good linear response to the fraction of MDR with a correlation coefficient of 0.995. Therefore, the MDR fraction can be easily predicted based on the calibration curve of the cathodic peak current versus the fraction of MDR. These results indicated that the sensing strategy could provide a powerful tool for assessment of MDR in cancer. The new electrochemical sensor based on carbon nanotubes-drug supramolecular nanocomposites could represent promising approach in the rapid diagnosis of MDR in cancer. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Double-sided anodic titania nanotube arrays: a lopsided growth process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Lidong; Zhang, Sam; Sun, Xiao Wei; Wang, Xiaoyan; Cai, Yanli

    2010-12-07

    In the past decade, the pore diameter of anodic titania nanotubes was reported to be influenced by a number of factors in organic electrolyte, for example, applied potential, working distance, water content, and temperature. All these were closely related to potential drop in the organic electrolyte. In this work, the essential role of electric field originating from the potential drop was directly revealed for the first time using a simple two-electrode anodizing method. Anodic titania nanotube arrays were grown simultaneously at both sides of a titanium foil, with tube length being longer at the front side than that at the back side. This lopsided growth was attributed to the higher ionic flux induced by electric field at the front side. Accordingly, the nanotube length was further tailored to be comparable at both sides by modulating the electric field. These results are promising to be used in parallel configuration dye-sensitized solar cells, water splitting, and gas sensors, as a result of high surface area produced by the double-sided architecture.

  3. Recent Developments in 2D Nanomaterials for Chemiresistive-Type Gas Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Seon-Jin; Kim, Il-Doo

    2018-03-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures are gaining tremendous interests due to the fascinating physical, chemical, electrical, and optical properties. Recent advances in 2D nanomaterials synthesis have contributed to optimization of various parameters such as physical dimension and chemical structure for specific applications. In particular, development of high performance gas sensors is gaining vast importance for real-time and on-site environmental monitoring by detection of hazardous chemical species. In this review, we comprehensively report recent achievements of 2D nanostructured materials for chemiresistive-type gas sensors. Firstly, the basic sensing mechanism is described based on charge transfer behavior between gas species and 2D nanomaterials. Secondly, diverse synthesis strategies and characteristic gas sensing properties of 2D nanostructures such as graphene, metal oxides, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), metal organic frameworks (MOFs), phosphorus, and MXenes are presented. In addition, recent trends in synthesis of 2D heterostructures by integrating two different types of 2D nanomaterials and their gas sensing properties are discussed. Finally, this review provides perspectives and future research directions for gas sensor technology using various 2D nanomaterials.

  4. Recent Developments in 2D Nanomaterials for Chemiresistive-Type Gas Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Seon-Jin; Kim, Il-Doo

    2018-05-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures are gaining tremendous interests due to the fascinating physical, chemical, electrical, and optical properties. Recent advances in 2D nanomaterials synthesis have contributed to optimization of various parameters such as physical dimension and chemical structure for specific applications. In particular, development of high performance gas sensors is gaining vast importance for real-time and on-site environmental monitoring by detection of hazardous chemical species. In this review, we comprehensively report recent achievements of 2D nanostructured materials for chemiresistive-type gas sensors. Firstly, the basic sensing mechanism is described based on charge transfer behavior between gas species and 2D nanomaterials. Secondly, diverse synthesis strategies and characteristic gas sensing properties of 2D nanostructures such as graphene, metal oxides, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), metal organic frameworks (MOFs), phosphorus, and MXenes are presented. In addition, recent trends in synthesis of 2D heterostructures by integrating two different types of 2D nanomaterials and their gas sensing properties are discussed. Finally, this review provides perspectives and future research directions for gas sensor technology using various 2D nanomaterials.

  5. Wearable carbon nanotube based dry-electrodes for electrophysiological sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Byeong-Cheol; Ha, Tae-Jun

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate all-solution-processed carbon nanotube (CNT) dry-electrodes for the detection of electrophysiological signals such as electrocardiograms (ECG) and electromyograms (EMG). The key parameters of P, Q, R, S, and T peaks are successfully extracted by such CNT based dry-electrodes, which is comparable with conventional silver/chloride (Ag/AgCl) wet-electrodes with a conducting gel film for the ECG recording. Furthermore, the sensing performance of CNT based dry-electrodes is secured during the bending test of 200 cycles, which is essential for wearable electrophysiological sensors in a non-invasive method on human skin. We also investigate the application of wearable CNT based dry-electrodes directly attached to the human skins such as forearm for sensing the electrophysiological signals. The accurate and rapid sensing response can be achieved by CNT based dry-electrodes to supervise the health condition affected by excessive physical movements during the real-time measurements.

  6. A Spray-On Carbon Nanotube Artificial Neuron Strain Sensor for Composite Structural Health Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gyeongrak Choi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available We present a nanocomposite strain sensor (NCSS to develop a novel structural health monitoring (SHM sensor that can be easily installed in a composite structure. An NCSS made of a multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT/epoxy composite was installed on a target structure with facile processing. We attempted to evaluate the NCSS sensing characteristics and benchmark compared to those of a conventional foil strain gauge. The response of the NCSS was fairly good and the result was nearly identical to the strain gauge. A neuron, which is a biomimetic long continuous NCSS, was also developed, and its vibration response was investigated for structural damage detection of a composite cantilever. The vibration response for damage detection was measured by tracking the first natural frequency, which demonstrated good result that matched the finite element (FE analysis.

  7. A smart microelectromechanical sensor and switch triggered by gas

    KAUST Repository

    Bouchaala, Adam M.; Jaber, Nizar; Shekhah, Osama; Chernikova, Valeriya; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Younis, Mohammad I.

    2016-01-01

    device based on a single microstructure. Specifically, we demonstrate a smart resonant gas (mass) sensor, which in addition to being capable of quantifying the amount of absorbed gas, can be autonomously triggered as an electrical switch upon exceeding a

  8. Magnesium ferrite nanoparticles: a rapid gas sensor for alcohol

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  9. Multi-electrode gas sensor system - MEGAS. Final report; Multi-Elektroden-Gassensorsystem - MEGAS. Abschlussbericht

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heidtkamp, C.

    2002-07-01

    A tungsten/titanium - mixed-oxide based sensor for selective exhaust gas measurement of e.g. diesel engines (NO{sub x}, CO, hydrocarbons, NH{sub 3},..) is described. The special design of the used sensors should allow operation at high ambient temperature with the potential of quantitative determination of different exhaust gas components with only one sensor. Several batches of sensor prototypes are characterised according to sensitivity and stability. (orig.)

  10. Sensing of low concentration of ammonia at room temperature by decorated multi-walled carbon nanotube: fabrication and characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  12. Advances in SAW gas sensors based on the condensate-adsorption effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jiuling; Wang, Wen; Li, Shunzhou; Liu, Minghua; He, Shitang

    2011-01-01

    A surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) gas sensor with a low detection limit and fast response for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) based on the condensate-adsorption effect detection is developed. In this sensor a gas chromatography (GC) column acts as the separator element and a dual-resonator oscillator acts as the detector element. Regarding the surface effective permittivity method, the response mechanism analysis, which relates the condensate-adsorption effect, is performed, leading to the sensor performance prediction prior to fabrication. New designs of SAW resonators, which act as feedback of the oscillator, are devised in order to decrease the insertion loss and to achieve single-mode control, resulting in superior frequency stability of the oscillator. Based on the new phase modulation approach, excellent short-term frequency stability (±3 Hz/s) is achieved with the SAW oscillator by using the 500 MHz dual-port resonator as feedback element. In a sensor experiment investigating formaldehyde detection, the implemented SAW gas sensor exhibits an excellent threshold detection limit as low as 0.38 pg.

  13. Approach for Self-Calibrating CO₂ Measurements with Linear Membrane-Based Gas Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazik, Detlef; Sood, Pramit

    2016-11-17

    Linear membrane-based gas sensors that can be advantageously applied for the measurement of a single gas component in large heterogeneous systems, e.g., for representative determination of CO₂ in the subsurface, can be designed depending on the properties of the observation object. A resulting disadvantage is that the permeation-based sensor response depends on operating conditions, the individual site-adapted sensor geometry, the membrane material, and the target gas component. Therefore, calibration is needed, especially of the slope, which could change over several orders of magnitude. A calibration-free approach based on an internal gas standard is developed to overcome the multi-criterial slope dependency. This results in a normalization of sensor response and enables the sensor to assess the significance of measurement. The approach was proofed on the example of CO₂ analysis in dry air with tubular PDMS membranes for various CO₂ concentrations of an internal standard. Negligible temperature dependency was found within an 18 K range. The transformation behavior of the measurement signal and the influence of concentration variations of the internal standard on the measurement signal were shown. Offsets that were adjusted based on the stated theory for the given measurement conditions and material data from the literature were in agreement with the experimentally determined offsets. A measurement comparison with an NDIR reference sensor shows an unexpectedly low bias (sensor response, and comparable statistical uncertainty.

  14. Wireless and embedded carbon nanotube networks for damage detection in concrete structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saafi, Mohamed

    2009-01-01

    Concrete structures undergo an uncontrollable damage process manifesting in the form of cracks due to the coupling of fatigue loading and environmental effects. In order to achieve long-term durability and performance, continuous health monitoring systems are needed to make critical decisions regarding operation, maintenance and repairs. Recent advances in nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes have opened the door for new smart and advanced sensing materials that could effectively be used in health monitoring of structures where wireless and real time sensing could provide information on damage development. In this paper, carbon nanotube networks were embedded into a cement matrix to develop an in situ wireless and embedded sensor for damage detection in concrete structures. By wirelessly measuring the change in the electrical resistance of the carbon nanotube networks, the progress of damage can be detected and monitored. As a proof of concept, wireless cement-carbon nanotube sensors were embedded into concrete beams and subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading to evaluate the effect of damage on their response. Experimental results showed that the wireless response of the embedded nanotube sensors changes due to the formation of cracks during loading. In addition, the nanotube sensors were able to detect the initiation of damage at an early stage of loading.

  15. Wireless and embedded carbon nanotube networks for damage detection in concrete structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saafi, Mohamed

    2009-09-01

    Concrete structures undergo an uncontrollable damage process manifesting in the form of cracks due to the coupling of fatigue loading and environmental effects. In order to achieve long-term durability and performance, continuous health monitoring systems are needed to make critical decisions regarding operation, maintenance and repairs. Recent advances in nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes have opened the door for new smart and advanced sensing materials that could effectively be used in health monitoring of structures where wireless and real time sensing could provide information on damage development. In this paper, carbon nanotube networks were embedded into a cement matrix to develop an in situ wireless and embedded sensor for damage detection in concrete structures. By wirelessly measuring the change in the electrical resistance of the carbon nanotube networks, the progress of damage can be detected and monitored. As a proof of concept, wireless cement-carbon nanotube sensors were embedded into concrete beams and subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading to evaluate the effect of damage on their response. Experimental results showed that the wireless response of the embedded nanotube sensors changes due to the formation of cracks during loading. In addition, the nanotube sensors were able to detect the initiation of damage at an early stage of loading.

  16. Chemical sensors using coated or doped carbon nanotube networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jing (Inventor); Meyyappan, Meyya (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    Methods for using modified single wall carbon nanotubes ("SWCNTs") to detect presence and/or concentration of a gas component, such as a halogen (e.g., Cl.sub.2), hydrogen halides (e.g., HCl), a hydrocarbon (e.g., C.sub.nH.sub.2n+2), an alcohol, an aldehyde or a ketone, to which an unmodified SWCNT is substantially non-reactive. In a first embodiment, a connected network of SWCNTs is coated with a selected polymer, such as chlorosulfonated polyethylene, hydroxypropyl cellulose, polystyrene and/or polyvinylalcohol, and change in an electrical parameter or response value (e.g., conductance, current, voltage difference or resistance) of the coated versus uncoated SWCNT networks is analyzed. In a second embodiment, the network is doped with a transition element, such as Pd, Pt, Rh, Ir, Ru, Os and/or Au, and change in an electrical parameter value is again analyzed. The parameter change value depends monotonically, not necessarily linearly, upon concentration of the gas component. Two general algorithms are presented for estimating concentration value(s), or upper or lower concentration bounds on such values, from measured differences of response values.

  17. Adsorption of HCN molecules on Ni, Pd and Pt-doped (7, 0) boron nitride nanotube: a DFT study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habibi-Yangjeh, Aziz; Basharnavaz, Hadi

    2018-05-01

    We studied affinity of pure and Ni, Pd and Pt-doped (7, 0) boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) to toxic HCN molecules using density functional theory calculations. The results indicated that the pure (7, 0) BNNTs can weakly adsorb HCN molecules with adsorption energy of -0.2474 eV. Upon adsorption of HCN molecules on this nanotube, the band gap energy was decreased from 3.320 to 2.960 eV. The more negative adsorption energy between these transition metal-doped (7, 0) BNNTs and HCN molecules indicated that doping of (7, 0) BNNTs with Ni, Pd and Pt elements can significantly improve the affinity of BNNTs toward this gas. Additionally, it was found that the interaction energy between HCN molecules and Pt-doped BNNTs is more negative than those of the Ni and Pd-doped BNNTs. These observations suggested that the Pt-doped (7, 0) BNNTs are strongly sensitive to HCN molecules and therefore it may be used in gas sensor devices for detecting this toxic gas.

  18. A Robust and Low-Complexity Gas Recognition Technique for On-Chip Tin-Oxide Gas Sensor Array

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farid Flitti

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Gas recognition is a new emerging research area with many civil, military, and industrial applications. The success of any gas recognition system depends on its computational complexity and its robustness. In this work, we propose a new low-complexity recognition method which is tested and successfully validated for tin-oxide gas sensor array chip. The recognition system is based on a vector angle similarity measure between the query gas and the representatives of the different gas classes. The latter are obtained using a clustering algorithm based on the same measure within the training data set. Experimented results on our in-house gas sensors array show more than 98% of correct recognition. The robustness of the proposed method is tested by recognizing gas measurements with simulated drift. Less than 1% of performance degradation is noted at the worst case scenario which represents a significant improvement when compared to the current state-of-the-art.

  19. CO2/N2 Gas Separation Using Nanocomposite Membranes Comprised of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube (EPDM/MWCNT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeinab Rajabi

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Nanocomposite membranes of ethylene-propylene-diene monomer/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (EPDM/MWCNT were prepared by solution casting, solvent evaporation and cross-link technique to be applied in CO2/N2 gas separation. Both simple and functionalized MWCNTs have been used. The effect of incorporated different amounts multiwalled carbon nanotubes (0-4 wt%, of both simple and functionalized types, on the performance of nanocomposite membranes was studied. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM were used to evaluate the structural/morphological observations of nanocomposite membranes. Comparing the FTIR results of pure and functionalized nanotubes confirmed the presence of carboxylic groups on the functional carbon nanotubes. The FESEM images indicated that at low concentrations, carbon nanotube particles were dispersed well in the EPDM matrix, but they formed agglomerates at concentrations beyond 1 wt%. By incorporation of MWCNTs, the mechanicalproperties of nanocomposite membranes including tensile strength, Young's modulus and elongation-at-break considerably were improved. By increasing carbon nanotube loading up to 0.75 wt%, the permeability of both CO2 and N2 and the CO2/N2 selectivity increased. Further loading led to higher permeability of CO2/N2, while the selectivity ofthe system decreased that could be attributed to further agglomeration of carbon nanotube particles. Furthermore, functionalization of carbon nanotubes improved their dispersion and the mechanical properties and gas separation performance of nanocomposite membranes. Through functionalizing of MWCNTs, both the CO2 permeability and CO2/N2 selectivity of the optimum membrane (0.75 wt% MWCNTs increased from 37.95 and 18.03 Barrer to 57.57 and 23.43 Barrer, respectively. At ambient temperature, by the increase in feed pressure a slight increase in the permeability of both CO2 and N2 gases was observed, while the CO2

  20. Effect of doping with Al/B on the sensitivity of a metallic carbon nanotube to CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merlano, Aura; Pérez, F. R.; Salazar, Ángel; Garay, Andrés

    2017-01-01

    In this work the effect of doping with aluminum (Al) and boron (B) an armchair (6,6) carbon nanotube on its sensibility to carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) for possible application in sensors of this gas was studied. Using first-principles calculations within the framework of the density functional theory (DFT), adsorption energies were obtained in the cases when the molecule is initially perpendicular to the surface of the nanotube, near the dopant atom, and located above a carbon atom of the nanotube, above a C-C bond, or directly above the center of a hexagon. It was found that doping with Al does not improve the adsorption of the molecule compared to the pristine nanotube. However, doping with B slightly favors the adsorption for some of the considered positions. The results suggest that B doping might be an acceptable option in the design and construction of nano devices for CO 2 detection. (paper)

  1. Sensor Selection for Aircraft Engine Performance Estimation and Gas Path Fault Diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Donald L.; Rinehart, Aidan W.

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents analytical techniques for aiding system designers in making aircraft engine health management sensor selection decisions. The presented techniques, which are based on linear estimation and probability theory, are tailored for gas turbine engine performance estimation and gas path fault diagnostics applications. They enable quantification of the performance estimation and diagnostic accuracy offered by different candidate sensor suites. For performance estimation, sensor selection metrics are presented for two types of estimators including a Kalman filter and a maximum a posteriori estimator. For each type of performance estimator, sensor selection is based on minimizing the theoretical sum of squared estimation errors in health parameters representing performance deterioration in the major rotating modules of the engine. For gas path fault diagnostics, the sensor selection metric is set up to maximize correct classification rate for a diagnostic strategy that performs fault classification by identifying the fault type that most closely matches the observed measurement signature in a weighted least squares sense. Results from the application of the sensor selection metrics to a linear engine model are presented and discussed. Given a baseline sensor suite and a candidate list of optional sensors, an exhaustive search is performed to determine the optimal sensor suites for performance estimation and fault diagnostics. For any given sensor suite, Monte Carlo simulation results are found to exhibit good agreement with theoretical predictions of estimation and diagnostic accuracies.

  2. NOVEL ZINC OXIDE FUNCTIONALIZED CARBON NANOTUBE CHEMIRESISTOR SENSOR ENHANCED WITH SURFACE O2 PLASMA INDUCED DEFECTS FOR METHANEDETECTION AT SINGLE PPM LEVEL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novelty/Progress ClaimsThis paper presents a novel functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) based chemiresistor sensor which can detect methane at 2 ppm concentration level at room temperature with relative resistance change (RRC) of 2%. This is the highest reported ...

  3. MAPLE activities and applications in gas sensors

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Jelínek, Miroslav; Remsa, Jan; Kocourek, Tomáš; Kubešová, B.; Schůrek, J.; Myslík, V.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 105, č. 3 (2011), 643-649 ISSN 0947-8396 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100522 Keywords : MAPLE * gas sensors * biomedicine * thin films Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 1.630, year: 2011

  4. Characterization of carbon nanotubes decorated with NiFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles as a novel electrochemical sensor: Application for highly selective determination of sotalol using voltammetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ensafi, Ali A.; Allafchian, Ali R.; Rezaei, B.; Mohammadzadeh, R.

    2013-01-01

    A magnetic nano‐composite of multiwall carbon nanotube, decorated with NiFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles, was synthesized with citrate sol–gel method. The multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with NiFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles (NiFe 2 O 4 –MWCNTs) were characterized with different methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The new nano-composite acts as a suitable electrocatalyst for the oxidation of sotalol at a potential of 500 mV at the surface of the modified electrode. Linear sweep voltammetry exhibited two wide linear dynamic ranges of 0.5–1000 μmol L −1 sotalol with a detection limit of 0.09 μmol L −1 . The modified electrode was used as a novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of sotalol in real samples such as pharmaceutical, patient and safe human urine. - Graphical abstract: Multiwall carbon nanotube, decorated with NiFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles, was prepared using citrate sol–gel method. We characterized the new nanoparticles with different spectroscopic and voltammetric methods. The nano sensor was used as a voltammetric sensor for the determination of trace amounts of sotalol at pH 7.0. Highlights: ► We synthesized and prepared new sensor, multiwall carbon nanotubes decorated with NiFe 2 O 4 . ► Several spectroscopic and voltammetric methods were used to study its characteristics. ► The nanoparticles act as suitable electrocatalyst for the oxidation of sotalol. ► Sotalol could be measured as low as 0.09 μmol L −1 using linear sweep voltammetry.

  5. Chemical Gas Sensors for Aeronautic and Space Applications 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, G. W.; Chen, L. Y.; Neudeck, P. G.; Knight, D.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, Q. H.; Zhou, H. J.; Makel, D.; Liu, M.; Rauch, W. A.

    1998-01-01

    Aeronautic and Space applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. Areas of most interest include launch vehicle safety monitoring emission monitoring and fire detection. This paper discusses the needs of aeronautic and space applications and the point-contact sensor technology being developed to address these needs. The development of these sensor is based on progress two types of technology: 1) Micro-machining and micro-fabrication technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. Sensor development for each application involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. The number of dual-use commercial applications of this micro-fabricated gas sensor technology make this area of sensor development a field of significant interest.

  6. Chemical Gas Sensors for Aeronautics and Space Applications III

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, G. W.; Neudeck, P. G.; Chen, L. Y.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, Q. H.; Sawayda, M. S.; Jin, Z.; Hammond, J.; Makel, D.; Liu, M.; hide

    1999-01-01

    Aeronautic and space applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. Areas of interest include launch vehicle safety monitoring, emission monitoring, and fire detection. This paper discusses the needs of aeronautic and space applications and the point-contact sensor technology being developed to address these needs. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. Sensor development for each application involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. The number of dual-use commercial applications of this microfabricated gas sensor technology make this area of sensor development a field of significant interest.

  7. Study of Propylene Glycol, Dimethylformamide and Formaldehyde Vapors Sensors Based on MWCNTs/SnO2 Nanocomposites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zaven Adamyan

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available We present results of our research works related to the study of thick-film multiwall carbon nanotube/tin oxide nanocomposite sensors of propylene glycol (PG, dimethylformamide (DMF and formaldehyde (FA vapors derived using hydrothermal synthesis and sol-gel methods. Investigations of response/recovery characteristics in the 50-300 oC operating temperature range reveal that the optimal operating temperature for PG, DMF and FA vapor sensors, taking into account both high response and acceptable response and recovery times, are about 200 and 220 oC, respectively. A sensor response dependence on gas concentration in all cases is linear. The minimal propylene glycol and dimethylformamide gas concentrations at which the perceptible signal was registered by us were 13 ppm and 5 ppm, respectively.

  8. Application of Gas Sensor Arrays in Assessment of Wastewater Purification Effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Łukasz Guz

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available A gas sensor array consisting of eight metal oxide semiconductor (MOS type gas sensors was evaluated for its ability for assessment of the selected wastewater parameters. Municipal wastewater was collected in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP in a primary sedimentation tank and was treated in a laboratory-scale sequential batch reactor (SBR. A comparison of the gas sensor array (electronic nose response to the standard physical-chemical parameters of treated wastewater was performed. To analyze the measurement results, artificial neural networks were used. E-nose—gas sensors array and artificial neural networks proved to be a suitable method for the monitoring of treated wastewater quality. Neural networks used for data validation showed high correlation between the electronic nose readouts and: (I chemical oxygen demand (COD (r = 0.988; (II total suspended solids (TSS (r = 0.938; (III turbidity (r = 0.940; (IV pH (r = 0.554; (V nitrogen compounds: N-NO3 (r = 0.958, N-NO2 (r = 0.869 and N-NH3 (r = 0.978; (VI and volatile organic compounds (VOC (r = 0.987. Good correlation of the abovementioned parameters are observed under stable treatment conditions in a laboratory batch reactor.

  9. A Molecular Dynamics of Cold Neutral Atoms Captured by Carbon Nanotube Under Electric Field and Thermal Effect as a Selective Atoms Sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Elson C; Neto, Abel F G; Maneschy, Carlos E; Chen, James; Ramalho, Teodorico C; Neto, A M J C

    2015-05-01

    Here we analyzed several physical behaviors through computational simulation of systems consisting of a zig-zag type carbon nanotube and relaxed cold atoms (Rb, Au, Si and Ar). These atoms were chosen due to their different chemical properties. The atoms individually were relaxed on the outside of the nanotube during the simulations. Each system was found under the influence of a uniform electric field parallel to the carbon nanotube and under the thermal effect of the initial temperature at the simulations. Because of the electric field, the cold atoms orbited the carbon nanotube while increasing the initial temperature allowed the variation of the radius of the orbiting atoms. We calculated the following quantities: kinetic energy, potential energy and total energy and in situ temperature, molar entropy variation and average radius of the orbit of the atoms. Our data suggest that only the action of electric field is enough to generate the attractive potential and this system could be used as a selected atoms sensor.

  10. Detection of Cu2+ in Water Based on Histidine-Gold Labeled Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Electrochemical Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rilong Zhu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Based on the strong interaction between histidine and copper ions and the signal enhancement effect of gold-labeling carbon nanotubes, an electrochemical sensor is established and used to measure copper ions in river water. In this study the results show that the concentrations of copper ion have well linear relationship with the peak current in the range of 10−11–10−7 mol/L, and the limit of detection is 10−12 mol/L. When using this method to detect copper ions in the Xiangjiang River, the test results are consistent with the atomic absorption method. This study shows that the sensor is convenient to be used in daily monitoring of copper ions in river water.

  11. Application of Notched Long-Period Fiber Grating Based Sensor for CO2 Gas Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Chao-Wei; Chiang, Chia-Chin

    2016-01-01

    An inductively coupled plasma etching process to fabricate notched long-period fiber gratings for CO2 gas sensing is proposed in this article. In the gas sensing test, the 15% mixed CO2 gas was used for characterization of CO2 adsorption by the amine-modified nanoporous silica foams of the notched long-period fiber grating sensor. The results shows the spectra were changed with the CO2 gas flow within 13 min. During the absorption process, the transmission of the resonant dip was decreased by 2.884 dB. Therefore, the proposed notched long-period fiber grating gas sensor shows good performance and is suitable as a gas sensor for monitoring the CO2 adsorption process.

  12. Analisis Pengaruh Konsentrasi Gas LPG Menggunakan Sensor TGS 2610 Berbasis Mikrokontroler AVR ATMega8535

    OpenAIRE

    Nurhalimah

    2011-01-01

    Telah dilakukan analisis kuantitatif gas dalam LPG. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengukur konsentrasi gas LPG terhadap sensor. Metoda yang digunakan untuk mengukur konsentrasi gas LPG yaitu sensor gas semikonduktor jenis TGS 2610 keluaran Figaro yang digunakan untuk mendeteksi keberadaan gas. Sementara yang menjadi pusat pengendalian dari seluruh alat yang dirancang digunakan mikrokontroler AVR ATMega8535. Selain itu sistem yang dirancang dilengkapi LCD sebagai tampilan nilai konsentrasi ga...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  14. Detection of multiple tumor markers using ultra-long carbon nanotube devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    So, Hye-Mi; Park, Dong-Won; Kim, Beom Soo; Kong, Ki-Jeong; Buh, Gyoung-Ho; Chang, Hyunju; Lee, Jeong-O.; Kong, Jing

    2008-03-01

    For the simultaneous detection of multiple tumor markers, we have fabricated ultra-long carbon nanotube sensors that can detect carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and prostate specific antigen (PSA), simultaneously. Ultra-long carbon nanotubes, several millimeters long, were grown by ethanol CVD, and fabricated as FET sensors by using conventional photolithography. To functionalize each segment of a single ultra-long nanotube device with multiple-tumor markers, we first functionalize the entire device with CDI-Tween 20 linking molecules, and then immobilized CEA and PSA antibodies using the microfluidic channel. The electrical conductance from CEA-antibody functionalized and PSA-antibody functionalized segment of a ultra-long carbon nanotube device was monitored simultaneously with Ag/AgCl reference electrode as a liquid gate. We will discuss the advantages of long-nanotube device in detail.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  16. Fast response time alcohol gas sensor using nanocrystalline F ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    been used in gas sensor applications, i.e. adsorption ability, catalytic ... sity, as well as grain boundary alteration (Yamazoe 1991;. 521 ... oxide surface using a catalyst layer or gas filter layer. Shukla .... mobility and sheet resistance were measured using resisti- .... ation considerably reduces the conversion efficiency in flat.

  17. A flexible, transparent and high-performance gas sensor based on layer-materials for wearable technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Zhaoqiang; Yao, Jiandong; Wang, Bing; Yang, Guowei

    2017-10-01

    Gas sensors play a vital role among a wide range of practical applications. Recently, propelled by the development of layered materials, gas sensors have gained much progress. However, the high operation temperature has restricted their further application. Herein, via a facile pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method, we demonstrate a flexible, transparent and high-performance gas sensor made of highly-crystalline indium selenide (In2Se3) film. Under UV-vis-NIR light or even solar energy activation, the constructed gas sensors exhibit superior properties for detecting acetylene (C2H2) gas at room temperature. We attribute these properties to the photo-induced charger transfer mechanism upon C2H2 molecule adsorption. Moreover, no apparent degradation in the device properties is observed even after 100 bending cycles. In addition, we can also fabricate this device on rigid substrates, which is also capable to detect gas molecules at room temperature. These results unambiguously distinguish In2Se3 as a new candidate for future application in monitoring C2H2 gas at room temperature and open up new opportunities for developing next generation full-spectrum activated gas sensors.

  18. Signal processing circuitry for CMOS-based SAW gas sensors with low power and area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd-Yasin, F.; Tye, K.F.; Reaz, M.B.I.

    2009-06-01

    The design and development of interface circuitries for CMOS-based SAW gas sensor is presented in this paper. The SAW gas sensor devices typically run at RF, requiring most designs to have complex signal conditioning circuitry. The proposed approach attempts to design a simple architecture with reduced power consumption. The SAW gas sensors operate at 354MHz. Simulation data show that the interface circuitries are ten times smaller with lower power supply, comparing to existing work. (author)

  19. Gas Detection Instrument Based on Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ANSONG FENG

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The wireless sensor network is used to simulate poisonous gas generating system in the Fire-Fighting Simulated Training System. In the paper, we use the wireless signal to simulate the poisonous gas source and use received signal strength indicator (RSSI to simulate the distance between the fireman and the gas source. The gas detection instrument samples the temperature and sphygmus of the trainee and uses the wireless signal as poisonous gas signal. When the trainee enters into the poisonous gas area, the gas detection instrument warns with sound and light and sends the type, density value, the location of the poisonous gas and vital signs of the trainee to host. The paper discusses the software and hardware design of the gas detection instrument. The system has been used to the several of Fire-Fighting training systems.

  20. Adsorption of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) at S functionalized boron nitride (BN) and aluminum nitride (AlN) nanotubes (9, 0): A quantum chemical investigation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Najafi, Meysam, E-mail: meysamnajafi2016@yahoo.com

    2016-10-30

    Highlights: • AlN-NT has higher potential to CO{sub 2} adsorption in comparison to BN-NT. • S functionalization of studied nanotubes improve the CO{sub 2} adsorption ability of them. • E{sub ad} is suitable scale to propose the novel toxic gas sensor based on nanostructured. • E{sub ad} and E{sub HLG} of studied nanotubes have linear dependences. - Abstract: We employed density functional theory to characterize CO{sub 2} adsorption on BNNT and AlNNT surfaces. The effects of S functionalization on the adsorption of CO{sub 2} gas on BNNT and AlNNT surfaces were investigated. Results reveal that adsorptions of CO{sub 2} on studied nanotubes were exothermic and experimentally possible from the energetic viewpoint. Results show that, E{sub ad} values of CO{sub 2} on AlNNT surface were more negative than corresponding values of BNNT. Results reveal that, S functionalization of studied nanotubes causes an increase in the absolute values of E{sub ad} of CO{sub 2} on surface of studied nanotubes. These results show that, there are good linearity dependencies between E{sub ad} and orbital energy values of studied nanotubes. Therefore we can conclude the E{sub ad} and orbital energy values are highly sensitive to the adsorption process which these may be used for the selection the suitable nanotubes with enhanced CO{sub 2} adsorption potential.

  1. Development of Fabric-Based Chemical Gas Sensors for Use as Wearable Electronic Noses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thara Seesaard

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Novel gas sensors embroidered into fabric substrates based on polymers/ SWNT-COOH nanocomposites were proposed in this paper, aiming for their use as a wearable electronic nose (e-nose. The fabric-based chemical gas sensors were fabricated by two main processes: drop coating and embroidery. Four potential polymers (PVC, cumene-PSMA, PSE and PVP/functionalized-SWCNT sensing materials were deposited onto interdigitated electrodes previously prepared by embroidering conductive thread on a fabric substrate to make an optimal set of sensors. After preliminary trials of the obtained sensors, it was found that the sensors yielded a electrical resistance in the region of a few kilo-Ohms. The sensors were tested with various volatile compounds such as ammonium hydroxide, ethanol, pyridine, triethylamine, methanol and acetone, which are commonly found in the wastes released from the human body. These sensors were used to detect and discriminate between the body odors of different regions and exist in various forms such as the urine, armpit and exhaled breath odor. Based on a simple pattern recognition technique, we have shown that the proposed fabric-based chemical gas sensors can discriminate the human body odor from two persons.

  2. Development of fabric-based chemical gas sensors for use as wearable electronic noses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seesaard, Thara; Lorwongtragool, Panida; Kerdcharoen, Teerakiat

    2015-01-16

    Novel gas sensors embroidered into fabric substrates based on polymers/ SWNT-COOH nanocomposites were proposed in this paper, aiming for their use as a wearable electronic nose (e-nose). The fabric-based chemical gas sensors were fabricated by two main processes: drop coating and embroidery. Four potential polymers (PVC, cumene-PSMA, PSE and PVP)/functionalized-SWCNT sensing materials were deposited onto interdigitated electrodes previously prepared by embroidering conductive thread on a fabric substrate to make an optimal set of sensors. After preliminary trials of the obtained sensors, it was found that the sensors yielded a electrical resistance in the region of a few kilo-Ohms. The sensors were tested with various volatile compounds such as ammonium hydroxide, ethanol, pyridine, triethylamine, methanol and acetone, which are commonly found in the wastes released from the human body. These sensors were used to detect and discriminate between the body odors of different regions and exist in various forms such as the urine, armpit and exhaled breath odor. Based on a simple pattern recognition technique, we have shown that the proposed fabric-based chemical gas sensors can discriminate the human body odor from two persons.

  3. Response mechanism for surface acoustic wave gas sensors based on surface-adsorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jiansheng; Lu, Yanyan

    2014-04-16

    A theoretical model is established to describe the response mechanism of surface acoustic wave (SAW) gas sensors based on physical adsorption on the detector surface. Wohljent's method is utilized to describe the relationship of sensor output (frequency shift of SAW oscillator) and the mass loaded on the detector surface. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) formula and its improved form are introduced to depict the adsorption behavior of gas on the detector surface. By combining the two methods, we obtain a theoretical model for the response mechanism of SAW gas sensors. By using a commercial SAW gas chromatography (GC) analyzer, an experiment is performed to measure the frequency shifts caused by different concentration of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP). The parameters in the model are given by fitting the experimental results and the theoretical curve agrees well with the experimental data.

  4. Foil Strain Gauges Using Piezoresistive Carbon Nanotube Yarn: Fabrication and Calibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jandro L. Abot

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Carbon nanotube yarns are micron-scale fibers comprised by tens of thousands of carbon nanotubes in their cross section and exhibiting piezoresistive characteristics that can be tapped to sense strain. This paper presents the details of novel foil strain gauge sensor configurations comprising carbon nanotube yarn as the piezoresistive sensing element. The foil strain gauge sensors are designed using the results of parametric studies that maximize the sensitivity of the sensors to mechanical loading. The fabrication details of the strain gauge sensors that exhibit the highest sensitivity, based on the modeling results, are described including the materials and procedures used in the first prototypes. Details of the calibration of the foil strain gauge sensors are also provided and discussed in the context of their electromechanical characterization when bonded to metallic specimens. This characterization included studying their response under monotonic and cyclic mechanical loading. It was shown that these foil strain gauge sensors comprising carbon nanotube yarn are sensitive enough to capture strain and can replicate the loading and unloading cycles. It was also observed that the loading rate affects their piezoresistive response and that the gauge factors were all above one order of magnitude higher than those of typical metallic foil strain gauges. Based on these calibration results on the initial sensor configurations, new foil strain gauge configurations will be designed and fabricated, to increase the strain gauge factors even more.

  5. Foil Strain Gauges Using Piezoresistive Carbon Nanotube Yarn: Fabrication and Calibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Góngora-Rubio, Mário R.; Kiyono, César Y.; Mello, Luis A. M.; Cardoso, Valtemar F.; Rosa, Reinaldo L. S.; Kuebler, Derek A.; Brodeur, Grace E.; Alotaibi, Amani H.; Coene, Marisa P.; Coene, Lauren M.; Jean, Elizabeth; Santiago, Rafael C.; Oliveira, Francisco H. A.; Rangel, Ricardo; Thomas, Gilles P.; Belay, Kalayu; da Silva, Luciana W.; Moura, Rafael T.; Seabra, Antonio C.; Silva, Emílio C. N.

    2018-01-01

    Carbon nanotube yarns are micron-scale fibers comprised by tens of thousands of carbon nanotubes in their cross section and exhibiting piezoresistive characteristics that can be tapped to sense strain. This paper presents the details of novel foil strain gauge sensor configurations comprising carbon nanotube yarn as the piezoresistive sensing element. The foil strain gauge sensors are designed using the results of parametric studies that maximize the sensitivity of the sensors to mechanical loading. The fabrication details of the strain gauge sensors that exhibit the highest sensitivity, based on the modeling results, are described including the materials and procedures used in the first prototypes. Details of the calibration of the foil strain gauge sensors are also provided and discussed in the context of their electromechanical characterization when bonded to metallic specimens. This characterization included studying their response under monotonic and cyclic mechanical loading. It was shown that these foil strain gauge sensors comprising carbon nanotube yarn are sensitive enough to capture strain and can replicate the loading and unloading cycles. It was also observed that the loading rate affects their piezoresistive response and that the gauge factors were all above one order of magnitude higher than those of typical metallic foil strain gauges. Based on these calibration results on the initial sensor configurations, new foil strain gauge configurations will be designed and fabricated, to increase the strain gauge factors even more. PMID:29401745

  6. Progress in the development of semiconducting metal oxide gas sensors: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moseley, Patrick T

    2017-01-01

    Since the first suggestion, during the 1950s, that high-surface-area metal oxides could be used as conductometric gas sensors enormous efforts have been made to enhance both the selectivity and the sensitivity of such devices, and to reduce their operational power requirements. This development has involved the exploration of response mechanisms, the selection of the most appropriate oxide compositions, the fabrication of two-phase ‘hetero-structures’, the addition of metallic catalyst particles and the optimisation of the manner in which the materials are presented to the gas—the structure and the nanostructure of the sensing elements. Far more of the scientific literature has been devoted to seeking such improvements in metal oxide gas sensors than has been directed at all other solid-state gas sensors together. Recent progress in the research and development of metal oxide gas sensor technology is surveyed in this invited review. The advances that have been made are quite spectacular and the results of individual pieces of work are drawn together here so that trends can be seen. Emerging features include: the significance of n-type/p-type switching, the enhancement of sensing performance of materials through the incorporation of secondary components and the advantages of interrogating sensors with alternating current rather than direct current. (topical review)

  7. Gas sensor based on photoconductive electrospun titania nanofibres operating at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zampetti, E., E-mail: emiliano.zampetti@artov.imm.cnr.it; Macagnano, A.; Bearzotti, A. [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi (CNR IMM) (Italy)

    2013-04-15

    An important drawback of semiconductor gas sensors is their operating temperature that needs the use of heaters. To overcome this problem a prototyping sensor using titania nanofibres (with an average diameter of 50 nm) as sensitive membrane were fabricated by electrospinning directly on the transducer of the sensor. Exploiting the effect of titania photoconductivity, resistance variations upon gas interaction under continuous irradiation of ultra violet light were measured at room temperature. The resistive sensor response was evaluated towards ammonia, nitrogen dioxide and humidity. The sensor exhibited a higher response to ammonia than to nitrogen dioxide, especially for concentrations larger than 100 ppb. For 200 ppb of ammonia and nitrogen dioxide, the responses were {approx}2.8 and 1.5 %, respectively.

  8. Optical Breath Gas Sensor for Extravehicular Activity Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, William R.; Casias, Miguel E.; Vakhtin, Andrei B.; Pilgrim, Jeffrey S.; Chullen, Cinda; Falconi, Eric A.; McMillin, Summer

    2013-01-01

    The function of the infrared gas transducer used during extravehicular activity in the current space suit is to measure and report the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ventilation loop. The next generation portable life support system (PLSS) requires next generation CO2 sensing technology with performance beyond that presently in use on the Space Shuttle/International Space Station extravehicular mobility unit (EMU). Accommodation within space suits demands that optical sensors meet stringent size, weight, and power requirements. A laser diode spectrometer based on wavelength modulation spectroscopy is being developed for this purpose by Vista Photonics, Inc. Two prototype devices were delivered to NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in September 2011. The sensors incorporate a laser diode-based CO2 channel that also includes an incidental water vapor (humidity) measurement and a separate oxygen channel using a vertical cavity surface emitting laser. Both prototypes are controlled digitally with a field-programmable gate array/microcontroller architecture. The present development extends and upgrades the earlier hardware to the Advanced PLSS 2.0 test article being constructed and tested at JSC. Various improvements to the electronics and gas sampling are being advanced by this project. The combination of low power electronics with the performance of a long wavelength laser spectrometer enables multi-gas sensors with significantly increased performance over that presently offered in the EMU.

  9. Preparation of aligned nanotube membranes for water and gas separation applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lulevich, Valentin; Bakajin, Olgica; Klare, Jennifer E.; Noy, Aleksandr

    2016-01-05

    Fabrication methods for selective membranes that include aligned nanotubes can advantageously include a mechanical polishing step. The nanotubes have their ends closed off during the step of infiltrating a polymer precursor around the nanotubes. This prevents polymer precursor from flowing into the nanotubes. The polishing step is performed after the polymer matrix is formed, and can open up the ends of the nanotubes.

  10. Construction of MoS2/Si nanowire array heterojunction for ultrahigh-sensitivity gas sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Di; Lou, Zhenhua; Wang, Yuange; Xu, Tingting; Shi, Zhifeng; Xu, Junmin; Tian, Yongtao; Li, Xinjian

    2017-10-01

    Few-layer MoS2 thin films were synthesized by a two-step thermal decomposition process. In addition, MoS2/Si nanowire array (SiNWA) heterojunctions exhibiting excellent gas sensing properties were constructed and investigated. Further analysis reveals that such MoS2/SiNWA heterojunction devices are highly sensitive to nitric oxide (NO) gas under reverse voltages at room temperature (RT). The gas sensor demonstrated a minimum detection limit of 10 ppb, which represents the lowest value obtained for MoS2-based sensors, as well as an ultrahigh response of 3518% (50 ppm NO, ˜50% RH), with good repeatability and selectivity of the MoS2/SiNWA heterojunction. The sensing mechanisms were also discussed. The performance of the MoS2/SiNWA heterojunction gas sensors is superior to previous results, revealing that they have great potential in applications relating to highly sensitive gas sensors.

  11. Sensitivity Enhancement of Benzene Sensor Using Ethyl Cellulose-Coated Surface-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thanattha Chobsilp

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A hybrid sensor based on the integration of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs with ethyl cellulose (EC was fabricated for sensitivity enhancement of benzene detection. To functionalize the surface of MWCNTs, MWCNTs were treated with hydrochloric acid for 60 min (A60-MWCNTs, while other MWCNTs were treated with oxygen plasma for 30, 60, 90, and 120 min (P30-MWCNTs, P60-MWCNTs, P90-MWCNTs, and P120-MWCNTs, resp.. Pristine MWCNTs, A-MWCNTs, and P-MWCNTs were dispersed in 1,2-dichloroethane, then dropped onto a printed circuit board consisting of Cu/Au electrodes used as the sensor platform. Next, EC was separately spin coated on the pristine MWCNTs, A-MWCNTs, and P-MWCNTs (EC/MWCNTs, EC/A-MWCNTs, and EC/P-MWCNTs, resp.. All sensors responded to benzene vapor at room temperature by increasing their electrical resistance which was sensitive to benzene vapor. The EC/P90-MWCNTs enabled an approximately 11-fold improvement in benzene detection compared to EC/MWCNTs. The sensitivity of all sensors would be attributed to the swelling of EC, resulting in the loosening of the MWCNT network after benzene vapor exposure. The differences of the sensing responses of the EC/MWCNTs, EC/A-MWCNTs, and EC/P-MWCNTs would be ascribed to the differences in crystallinity and functionalization of MWCNT sidewalls, suggesting that acid and oxygen plasma treatments of MWCNTs would be promising techniques for the improvement of benzene detection.

  12. Palladium Gate All Around - Hetero Dielectric -Tunnel FET based highly sensitive Hydrogen Gas Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madan, Jaya; Chaujar, Rishu

    2016-12-01

    The paper presents a novel highly sensitive Hetero-Dielectric-Gate All Around Tunneling FET (HD-GAA-TFET) based Hydrogen Gas Sensor, incorporating the advantages of band to band tunneling (BTBT) mechanism. Here, the Palladium supported silicon dioxide is used as a sensing media and sensing relies on the interaction of hydrogen with Palladium-SiO2-Si. The high surface to volume ratio in the case of cylindrical GAA structure enhances the fortuities for surface reactions between H2 gas and Pd, and thus improves the sensitivity and stability of the sensor. Behaviour of the sensor in presence of hydrogen and at elevated temperatures is discussed. The conduction path of the sensor which is dependent on sensors radius has also been varied for the optimized sensitivity and static performance analysis of the sensor where the proposed design exhibits a superior performance in terms of threshold voltage, subthreshold swing, and band to band tunneling rate. Stability of the sensor with respect to temperature affectability has also been studied, and it is found that the device is reasonably stable and highly sensitive over the bearable temperature range. The successful utilization of HD-GAA-TFET in gas sensors may open a new door for the development of novel nanostructure gas sensing devices.

  13. Electrochemical cell with integrated hydrocarbon gas sensor for automobile exhaust gas; Elektrochemische Zelle mit integriertem Kohlenwasserstoff-Gassensor fuer das Automobilabgas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Biskupski, D.; Moos, R. [Univ. Bayreuth (Germany). Bayreuth Engine Research Center, Lehrstuhl fuer Funktionsmaterialien; Wiesner, K.; Fleischer, M. [Siemens AG, Corporate Technology, CT PS 6, Muenchen (Germany)

    2007-07-01

    In the future sensors will be necessary to control the compliance with hydrocarbon limiting values, allowing a direct detection of the hydrocarbons. Appropriate sensor-active functional materials are metal oxides, which have a hydrocarbon sensitivity but are also dependent on the oxygen partial pressure. It is proposed that the gas-sensing layer should be integrated into an electrochemical cell. The authors show that the integration of a resistive oxygen sensor into a pump cell allows a defined oxygen concentration level at the sensor layer in any exhaust gas.

  14. Cr2O3 nanoparticle-functionalized WO3 nanorods for ethanol gas sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Seungbok; Bonyani, Maryam; Sun, Gun-Joo; Lee, Jae Kyung; Hyun, Soong Keun; Lee, Chongmu

    2018-02-01

    Pristine WO3 nanorods and Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods were synthesized by the thermal evaporation of WO3 powder in an oxidizing atmosphere, followed by spin-coating of the nanowires with Cr2O3 nanoparticles and thermal annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the morphological features and X-ray diffraction was used to study the crystallinity and phase formation of the synthesized nanorods. Gas sensing tests were performed at different temperatures in the presence of test gases (ethanol, acetone, CO, benzene and toluene). The Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor showed a stronger response to these gases relative to the pristine WO3 nanorod sensor. In particular, the response of the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor to 200 ppm ethanol gas was 5.58, which is approximately 4.4 times higher that of the pristine WO3 nanorods sensor. Furthermore, the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor had a shorter response and recovery time. The pristine WO3 nanorods had no selectivity toward ethanol gas, whereas the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor showed good selectivity toward ethanol. The gas sensing mechanism of the Cr2O3-functionalized WO3 nanorods sensor toward ethanol is discussed in detail.

  15. Printing nanotube/nanowire for flexible microsystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tortorich, Ryan P.; Choi, Jin-Woo

    2014-04-01

    Printing has become an emerging manufacturing technology for mechanics, electronics, and consumer products. Additionally, both nanotubes and nanowires have recently been used as materials for sensors and electrodes due to their unique electrical and mechanical properties. Printed electrodes and conductive traces particularly offer versatility of fabricating low-cost, disposable, and flexible electrical devices and microsystems. While various printing methods such as screen printing have been conventional methods for printing conductive traces and electrodes, inkjet printing has recently attracted great attention due to its unique advantages including no template requirement, rapid printing at low cost, on-demand printing capability, and precise control of the printed material. Computer generated conductive traces or electrode patterns can simply be printed on a thin film substrate with proper conductive ink consisting of nanotubes or nanowires. However, in order to develop nanotube or nanowire ink, there are a few challenges that need to be addressed. The most difficult obstacle to overcome is that of nanotube/nanowire dispersion within a solution. Other challenges include adjusting surface tension and controlling viscosity of the ink as well as treating the surface of the printing substrate. In an attempt to pave the way for nanomaterial inkjet printing, we present a method for preparing carbon nanotube ink as well as its printing technique. A fully printed electrochemical sensor using inkjet-printed carbon nanotube electrodes is also demonstrated as an example of the possibilities for this technology.

  16. Estimation of local concentration from measurements of stochastic adsorption dynamics using carbon nanotube-based sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, Hong; Lee, Jay H.; Braatz, Richard D.

    2016-01-01

    This paper proposes a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method for estimating time varying local concentration of the target molecule proximate to the sensor from the time profile of monomolecular adsorption and desorption on the surface of the sensor at nanoscale. Recently, several carbon nanotube sensors have been developed that can selectively detect target molecules at a trace concentration level. These sensors use light intensity changes mediated by adsorption or desorption phenomena on their surfaces. The molecular events occurring at trace concentration levels are inherently stochastic, posing a challenge for optimal estimation. The stochastic behavior is modeled by the chemical master equation (CME), composed of a set of ordinary differential equations describing the time evolution of probabilities for the possible adsorption states. Given the significant stochastic nature of the underlying phenomena, rigorous stochastic estimation based on the CME should lead to an improved accuracy over than deterministic estimation formulated based on the continuum model. Motivated by this expectation, we formulate the MLE based on an analytical solution of the relevant CME, both for the constant and the time-varying local concentrations, with the objective of estimating the analyte concentration field in real time from the adsorption readings of the sensor array. The performances of the MLE and the deterministic least squares are compared using data generated by kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations of the stochastic process. Some future challenges are described for estimating and controlling the concentration field in a distributed domain using the sensor technology.

  17. Transport Phenomena in Nanowires, Nanotubes, and Other Low-Dimensional Systems

    KAUST Repository

    Montes, Enrique

    2017-01-01

    bonding. The current-voltage characteristics of nanotubes connected to Au electrodes is used to evaluate the change in resistivity upon adsorption. The observed selectivity and sensitivity properties make blue P nanotubes superior gas sensors for a wide range of applications. Using black P and blue P nanoribbons, we configure field effect transistors with atomically perfect junctions by using armchair nanoribbons as semiconducting channel and zigzag nanoribbons as metallic leads. We characterize the devices and observe a performance superior to Si-based devices, with on/off ratio of ~ 103, low subthreshold swing of ~ 60 mV/decade, and high transconductance of ~ 104 S/m.

  18. Synthesis, Characterization and Utility of Carbon Nanotube Based Hybrid Sensors in Bioanalytical Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badhulika, Sushmee

    The detection of gaseous analytes and biological molecules is of prime importance in the fields of environmental pollution control, food and water - safety and analysis; and medical diagnostics. This necessitates the development of advanced and improved technology that is reliable, inexpensive and suitable for high volume production. The conventional sensors are often thin film based which lack sensitivity due to the phenomena of current shunting across the charge depleted region when an analyte binds with them. One dimensional (1-D) nanostructures provide a better alternative for sensing applications by eliminating the issue of current shunting due to their 1-D geometries and facilitating device miniaturization and low power operations. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are 1-D nanostructures that possess small size, high mechanical strength, high electrical and thermal conductivity and high specific area that have resulted in their wide spread applications in sensor technology. To overcome the issue of low sensitivity of pristine CNTs and to widen their scope, hybrid devices have been fabricated that combine the synergistic properties of CNTs along with materials like metals and conducting polymers (CPs). CPs exhibit electronic, magnetic and optical properties of metals and semiconductors while retaining the processing advantages of polymers. Their high chemical sensitivity, room temperature operation and tunable charge transport properties has made them ideal for use as transducing elements in chemical sensors. In this dissertation, various CNT based hybrid devices such as CNT-conducting polymer and graphene-CNT-metal nanoparticles based sensors have been developed and demonstrated towards bioanalytical applications such as detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and saccharides. Electrochemical polymerization enabled the synthesis of CPs and metal nanoparticles in a simple, cost effective and controlled way on the surface of CNT based platforms thus resulting in

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  20. An electrochemical sensor for determining elemental iodine in gas media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goffman, V.G.; Shaimerdinov, B.U.; Kotelkin, I.M. [Institute of New Chemical Problems, Moscow (Russian Federation)] [and others

    1993-12-01

    The possibility of using solid-electrolyte Ag, AgI/AgI/Au cells as sensors for determining the concentration of elemental iodine in gas media is investigated. It is established that the sensor parameters are independent of oxygen content and radiation dose at different relative humidities.

  1. Development of patterned carbon nanotubes on a 3D polymer substrate for the flexible tactile sensor application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Chih-Fan; Fang, Weileun; Su, Wang-Shen

    2011-01-01

    This study reports an improved approach to implement a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based flexible tactile sensor, which is integrated with a flexible print circuit (FPC) connector and is capable of detecting normal and shear forces. The merits of the presented tactile sensor by the integration process are as follows: (1) 3D polymer tactile bump structures are naturally formed by the use of an anisotropically etched silicon mold; (2) planar and 3D distributed CNTs are adopted as piezoresistive sensing elements to enable the detection of shear and normal forces; (3) the processes of patterning CNTs and metal routing can be easily batch fabricated on rigid silicon instead of flexible polymer; (4) robust electrical routing is realized using parylene encapsulation to avoid delamination; (5) patterned CNTs, electrical routing and FPC connector are integrated and transferred to a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate by a molding process. In application, the CNT-based flexible tactile sensor and its integration with the FPC connector are implemented. Preliminary tests show the feasibility of detecting both normal and shear forces using the presented flexible sensor.

  2. Design of carbon nanotube-based gas-diffusion cathode for O{sub 2} reduction by multicopper oxidases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lau, Carolin; Adkins, Emily R.; Atanassov, Plamen [University of New Mexico, Center for Emerging Energy Technologies, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ramasamy, Ramaraja P. [Microbiology and Applied Biochemistry, Airbase Sciences, Air Force Research Laboratory, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL (United States); Nano-Electrochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); Luckarift, Heather R.; Johnson, Glenn R. [Microbiology and Applied Biochemistry, Airbase Sciences, Air Force Research Laboratory, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL (United States)

    2012-01-15

    Multicopper oxidases, such as laccase or bilirubin oxidase, are known to reduce molecular oxygen at very high redox potentials, which makes them attractive biocatalysts for enzymatic cathodes in biological fuel cells. By designing an enzymatic gas-diffusion electrode, molecular oxygen can be supplied through the gaseous phase, avoiding solubility and diffusion limitations typically associated with liquid electrolytes. In doing so, the current density of enzymatic cathodes can theoretically be enhanced. This publication presents a material study of carbon/Teflon composites that aim to optimize the functionality of the gas-diffusion and catalytic layers for application in enzymatic systems. The modification of the catalytic layer with multiwalled carbon nanotubes, for example, creates the basis for stronger {pi}-{pi} stacking interactions through tethered enzymatic linkers, such as pyrenes or perylene derivates. Cyclic voltammograms show the effective direct electron contact of laccase with carbon nanotube-modified electrodes via tethered crosslinking molecules as a model system. The polarization behavior of laccase-modified gas-diffusion electrodes reveals open-circuit potentials of +550 mV (versus Ag/AgCl) and current densities approaching 0.5 mA cm{sup 2} (at zero potential) in air-breathing mode. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  3. Synthesis and properties of ZnO nanorods as ethanol gas sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirabbaszadeh, K; Mehrabian, M

    2012-01-01

    Uniform ZnO nanorods were synthesized via the sol-gel process under mild conditions in which different ZnO nanostructures have been prepared by changing the pH of growth solution. It was seen that the optimum nanorods were grown at pH 11.33. The prepared ZnO nanostructures and morphologies were characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy measurements. The ZnO one-dimensional nanostructures were found to have a wurtzite hexagonal crystalline structure and grow along the [001] direction. The optimum nanorods were about 1 μm in length and less than 100 nm in diameter. The ZnO nanostructures have been tested for different concentrations and different operating temperatures for ethanol vapor in air and the surface resistance of the sensors has been evaluated as a function of different parameters. The gas sensor fabricated from ZnO nanorods grown in solution with a special pH exhibited good performance. The sensor response to 5000 ppm ethanol was up to about 2.5 at the operating temperature of 300 °C. The differences in gas-sensing performance between the sensors were analyzed based on the defects created in the nanorods during their fast growth. The correlations between material structures and the properties of the gas sensors are discussed.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chin-Guo Kuo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  5. Influence of the different carbon nanotubes on the development of electrochemical sensors for bisphenol A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goulart, Lorena Athie; Cruz de Moraes, Fernando; Mascaro, Lucia Helena

    2016-01-01

    Different methods of functionalisation and the influence of the multi-walled carbon nanotube sizes were investigated on the bisphenol A electrochemical determination. Samples with diameters of 20 to 170 nm were functionalised in HNO_3 5.0 mol L"−"1 and a concentrated sulphonitric solution. The morphological characterisations before and after acid treatment were carried out by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The size and acid treatment affected the oxidation of bisphenol A. The multi-walled carbon nanotubes with a 20–40 nm diameter improved the method sensitivity and achieved a detection limit for determination of bisphenol A at 84.0 nmol L"−"1. - Highlights: • The dimension and type of the acid treatment of CNTs directly were influenced at the determination of BPA. • The best results were obtained for the MWCNTs with a smaller diameter. • The functionalisation of MWCNTs with a sulphonitric solution was more efficient. • There is a need to clearly specify the characteristics of CNTs when using this material as a sensor.

  6. Influence of the different carbon nanotubes on the development of electrochemical sensors for bisphenol A

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goulart, Lorena Athie, E-mail: lorenaathie@hotmail.com; Cruz de Moraes, Fernando, E-mail: fcmoraes@hotmail.com; Mascaro, Lucia Helena, E-mail: lmascaro@ufscar.br

    2016-01-01

    Different methods of functionalisation and the influence of the multi-walled carbon nanotube sizes were investigated on the bisphenol A electrochemical determination. Samples with diameters of 20 to 170 nm were functionalised in HNO{sub 3} 5.0 mol L{sup −1} and a concentrated sulphonitric solution. The morphological characterisations before and after acid treatment were carried out by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The size and acid treatment affected the oxidation of bisphenol A. The multi-walled carbon nanotubes with a 20–40 nm diameter improved the method sensitivity and achieved a detection limit for determination of bisphenol A at 84.0 nmol L{sup −1}. - Highlights: • The dimension and type of the acid treatment of CNTs directly were influenced at the determination of BPA. • The best results were obtained for the MWCNTs with a smaller diameter. • The functionalisation of MWCNTs with a sulphonitric solution was more efficient. • There is a need to clearly specify the characteristics of CNTs when using this material as a sensor.

  7. Amperometric Enzyme-based Gas Sensor for Formaldehyde: Impact of Possible Interferences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ralf Moos

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available In this work, cross-sensitivities and environmental influences on the sensitivityand the functionality of an enzyme-based amperometric sensor system for the directdetection of formaldehyde from the gas phase are studied. The sensor shows a linearresponse curve for formaldehyde in the tested range (0 - 15 vppm with a sensitivity of1.9 μA/ppm and a detection limit of about 130 ppb. Cross-sensitivities by environmentalgases like CO2, CO, NO, H2, and vapors of organic solvents like methanol and ethanol areevaluated as well as temperature and humidity influences on the sensor system. The sensorshowed neither significant signal to CO, H2, methanol or ethanol nor to variations in thehumidity of the test gas. As expected, temperature variations had the biggest influence onthe sensor sensitivity with variations in the sensor signal of up to 10 % of the signal for 5vppm CH2O in the range of 25 - 30 °C.

  8. Sensors of the gas CO in thin film of SnO{sub 2}:Cu; Sensores del gas CO en pelicula delgada de SnO{sub 2}:Cu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tirado G, S.; Sanchez Z, F. E., E-mail: tirado@esfm.ipn.mx [IPN, Escuela Superior de Fisica y Matematicas, Unidad Profesional Adolfo Lopez Mateos, San Pedro Zacatenco, 07738 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

    2011-10-15

    Thin films of SnO{sub 2}:Cu with different thickness, were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates and prepared by the Sol-gel process and repeated immersion. The sensor properties of these films to the gas CO for the range of 0-200 ppm in the gas concentration and operating to temperatures of 23, 100, 200, and 300 C were studied. Prepared films of pure SnO{sub 2} were modified superficially with 1, 3, 5 and 10 layers of the catalyst Cu (SnO{sub 2}:Cu) with the purpose of studying the effect on the sensor capacity of the gas CO by part of the films SnO{sub 2}:Cu. Using the changes in the electric properties of the films with the incorporation of the different copper layers and experimental conditions, the sensor modifications of the gas CO were evaluated. To complete this study, was realized a characterization of the superficial morphology of the films by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, equally was studied their structure and their electric and optical properties. (Author)

  9. A smart microelectromechanical sensor and switch triggered by gas

    KAUST Repository

    Bouchaala, Adam M.

    2016-07-05

    There is an increasing interest to realize smarter sensors and actuators that can deliver a multitude of sophisticated functionalities while being compact in size and of low cost. We report here combining both sensing and actuation on the same device based on a single microstructure. Specifically, we demonstrate a smart resonant gas (mass) sensor, which in addition to being capable of quantifying the amount of absorbed gas, can be autonomously triggered as an electrical switch upon exceeding a preset threshold of absorbed gas. Toward this, an electrostatically actuated polymer microbeam is fabricated and is then functionalized with a metal-organic framework, namely, HKUST-1. The microbeam is demonstrated to absorb vapors up to a certain threshold, after which is shown to collapse through the dynamic pull-in instability. Upon pull-in, the microstructure can be made to act as an electrical switch to achieve desirable actions, such as alarming.

  10. A smart microelectromechanical sensor and switch triggered by gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouchaala, Adam; Jaber, Nizar; Shekhah, Osama; Chernikova, Valeriya; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Younis, Mohammad I.

    2016-07-01

    There is an increasing interest to realize smarter sensors and actuators that can deliver a multitude of sophisticated functionalities while being compact in size and of low cost. We report here combining both sensing and actuation on the same device based on a single microstructure. Specifically, we demonstrate a smart resonant gas (mass) sensor, which in addition to being capable of quantifying the amount of absorbed gas, can be autonomously triggered as an electrical switch upon exceeding a preset threshold of absorbed gas. Toward this, an electrostatically actuated polymer microbeam is fabricated and is then functionalized with a metal-organic framework, namely, HKUST-1. The microbeam is demonstrated to absorb vapors up to a certain threshold, after which is shown to collapse through the dynamic pull-in instability. Upon pull-in, the microstructure can be made to act as an electrical switch to achieve desirable actions, such as alarming.

  11. Simulations of Propane and Butane Gas Sensor Based on Pristine Armchair Graphene Nanoribbon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashid, Haroon; Koel, Ants; Rang, Toomas

    2018-05-01

    Over the last decade graphene and its derivatives have gained a remarkable place in research field. As silicon technology is approaching to its geometrical limits so there is a need of alternate that can replace it. Graphene has emerged as a potential candidate for future nano-electronics applications due to its exceptional and extraordinary chemical, optical, electrical and mechanical properties. Graphene based sensors have gained significance for a wide range of sensing applications like detection of biomolecules, chemicals and gas molecules. It can be easily used to make electrical contacts and manipulate them according to the requirements as compared to the other nanomaterials. The intention of the work presented in this article is to contribute in this field by simulating a novel and cheap graphene nanoribbon sensor for the household gas leakage detection. QuantumWise Atomistix (ATK) software is used for the simulations of propane and butane gas sensor. Projected device density of the states (PDDOS) and the transmission spectrum of the device in the proximity of gas molecules are calculated and discussed. The change in the electric current through the device in the presence of the gas molecules is used as a gas detection mechanism for the simulated sensor.

  12. A Sentinel Sensor Network for Hydrogen Sensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew J. Mason

    2003-02-01

    Full Text Available A wireless sensor network is presented for in-situ monitoring of atmospheric hydrogen concentration. The hydrogen sensor network consists of multiple sensor nodes, equipped with titania nanotube hydrogen sensors, distributed throughout the area of interest; each node is both sensor, and data-relay station that enables extended wide area monitoring without a consequent increase of node power and thus node size. The hydrogen sensor is fabricated from a sheet of highly ordered titania nanotubes, made by anodization of a titanium thick film, to which platinum electrodes are connected. The electrical resistance of the hydrogen sensor varies from 245 Ω at 500 ppm hydrogen, to 10.23 kΩ at 0 ppm hydrogen (pure nitrogen environment. The measured resistance is converted to voltage, 0.049 V at 500 ppm to 2.046 V at 0 ppm, by interface circuitry. The microcontroller of the sensor node digitizes the voltage and transmits the digital information, using intermediate nodes as relays, to a host node that downloads measurement data to a computer for display. This paper describes the design and operation of the sensor network, the titania nanotube hydrogen sensors with an apparent low level resolution of approximately 0.05 ppm, and their integration in one widely useful device.

  13. Approach for Self-Calibrating CO2 Measurements with Linear Membrane-Based Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Detlef Lazik

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Linear membrane-based gas sensors that can be advantageously applied for the measurement of a single gas component in large heterogeneous systems, e.g., for representative determination of CO2 in the subsurface, can be designed depending on the properties of the observation object. A resulting disadvantage is that the permeation-based sensor response depends on operating conditions, the individual site-adapted sensor geometry, the membrane material, and the target gas component. Therefore, calibration is needed, especially of the slope, which could change over several orders of magnitude. A calibration-free approach based on an internal gas standard is developed to overcome the multi-criterial slope dependency. This results in a normalization of sensor response and enables the sensor to assess the significance of measurement. The approach was proofed on the example of CO2 analysis in dry air with tubular PDMS membranes for various CO2 concentrations of an internal standard. Negligible temperature dependency was found within an 18 K range. The transformation behavior of the measurement signal and the influence of concentration variations of the internal standard on the measurement signal were shown. Offsets that were adjusted based on the stated theory for the given measurement conditions and material data from the literature were in agreement with the experimentally determined offsets. A measurement comparison with an NDIR reference sensor shows an unexpectedly low bias (<1% of the non-calibrated sensor response, and comparable statistical uncertainty.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  15. Quartz crystal microbalance gas sensor with nanocrystalline diamond sensitive layer

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Varga, Marián; Laposa, A.; Kulha, Pavel; Kroutil, J.; Husák, M.; Kromka, Alexander

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 252, č. 11 (2015), s. 2591-2597 ISSN 0370-1972 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP108/12/G108 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : gas sensor * nanocrystalline diamond * quartz resonator * thickness shear mode Subject RIV: JB - Sensor s, Measurment, Regulation Impact factor: 1.522, year: 2015

  16. Inhomogeneous Oxygen Vacancy Distribution in Semiconductor Gas Sensors: Formation, Migration and Determination on Gas Sensing Characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jianqiao; Gao, Yinglin; Wu, Xu; Jin, Guohua; Zhai, Zhaoxia; Liu, Huan

    2017-08-10

    The density of oxygen vacancies in semiconductor gas sensors was often assumed to be identical throughout the grain in the numerical discussion of the gas-sensing mechanism of the devices. In contrast, the actual devices had grains with inhomogeneous distribution of oxygen vacancy under non-ideal conditions. This conflict between reality and discussion drove us to study the formation and migration of the oxygen defects in semiconductor grains. A model of the gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy was proposed based on the effects of cooling rate and re-annealing on semiconductive thin films. The model established the diffusion equations of oxygen vacancy according to the defect kinetics of diffusion and exclusion. We described that the steady-state and transient-state oxygen vacancy distributions, which were used to calculate the gas-sensing characteristics of the sensor resistance and response to reducing gases under two different conditions. The gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy model had the applications in simulating the sensor performances, such as the power law, the grain size effect and the effect of depletion layer width.

  17. Inhomogeneous Oxygen Vacancy Distribution in Semiconductor Gas Sensors: Formation, Migration and Determination on Gas Sensing Characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianqiao Liu

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The density of oxygen vacancies in semiconductor gas sensors was often assumed to be identical throughout the grain in the numerical discussion of the gas-sensing mechanism of the devices. In contrast, the actual devices had grains with inhomogeneous distribution of oxygen vacancy under non-ideal conditions. This conflict between reality and discussion drove us to study the formation and migration of the oxygen defects in semiconductor grains. A model of the gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy was proposed based on the effects of cooling rate and re-annealing on semiconductive thin films. The model established the diffusion equations of oxygen vacancy according to the defect kinetics of diffusion and exclusion. We described that the steady-state and transient-state oxygen vacancy distributions, which were used to calculate the gas-sensing characteristics of the sensor resistance and response to reducing gases under two different conditions. The gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy model had the applications in simulating the sensor performances, such as the power law, the grain size effect and the effect of depletion layer width.

  18. Semiconductor device-based sensors for gas, chemical, and biomedical applications

    CERN Document Server

    Ren, Fan

    2011-01-01

    Sales of U.S. chemical sensors represent the largest segment of the multi-billion-dollar global sensor market, which includes instruments for chemical detection in gases and liquids, biosensors, and medical sensors. Although silicon-based devices have dominated the field, they are limited by their general inability to operate in harsh environments faced with factors such as high temperature and pressure. Exploring how and why these instruments have become a major player, Semiconductor Device-Based Sensors for Gas, Chemical, and Biomedical Applications presents the latest research, including or

  19. Review of Small Commercial Sensors for Indicative Monitoring of Ambient Gas

    OpenAIRE

    ALEIXANDRE Manuel; GERBOLES Michel

    2012-01-01

    The traditional ambient gases monitor stations are expensive, big and of complex operation. So they are not suitable for a network of sensors that cover large areas. To cover large areas these traditional systems algorithms usually interpolates the measurements to calculate the gas concentrations in points far away of the physical sensors. Small commercial sensors represent a big opportunity for making sensor networks that monitor the ambient gases within large areas w...

  20. Eradicating group A streptococcus bacteria and biofilms using functionalised multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levi-Polyachenko, Nicole; Young, Christie; MacNeill, Christopher; Braden, Amy; Argenta, Louis; Reid, Sean

    2014-11-01

    The aim of this study was to demonstrate that multi-wall carbon nanotubes can be functionalised with antibodies to group A streptoccocus (GAS) for targeted photothermal ablation of planktonic and biofilm residing bacteria. Antibodies for GAS were covalently attached to carboxylated multi-wall carbon nanotubes and incubated with either planktonic or biofilm GAS. Bacterium was then exposed to 1.3 W/cm(2) of 800 nm light for 10-120 s, and then serially diluted onto agar plates from which the number of colony forming units was determined. Photothermal ablation of GAS on the surface of full thickness ex vivo porcine skin and histological sectioning were done to examine damage in adjacent tissue. Approximately 14% of the GAS antibody-functionalised nanotubes attached to the bacterium, and this amount was found to be capable of inducing photothermal ablation of GAS upon exposure to 1.3 W/cm(2) of 800 nm light. Cell viability was not decreased upon exposure to nanotubes or infrared light alone. Compared to carboxylated multi-wall carbon nanotubes, antibody-labelled nanotubes enhanced killing in both planktonic and biofilm GAS in conjunction with infrared light. Analysis of GAS photothermally ablated in direct contact with ex vivo porcine skin shows that heat sufficient for killing GAS remains localised and does not cause collateral damage in tissue adjacent to the treated area. The results of this study support the premise that carbon nanotubes may be effectively utilised as highly localised photothermal agents with the potential for translation into the clinical treatment of bacterial infections of soft tissue.

  1. Conductivity modeling of gas sensors based on copper ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The main objective of this work is to study the electronic conductivity of copper ... applications, such as gas sensors [11 - 13], catalysts [14], solar cells [15], .... solid systems and adopted to examine the mechanism of the adsorption process [38].

  2. Potential use of gas sensors in beef manure nutrient content ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2009-06-17

    Jun 17, 2009 ... manure samples were collected from four beef operations in Southwest North Dakota. Manure samples were sent to be ... cation rate at spreading time instead of waiting two or three weeks to receive the results ... Operation mechanism of metal-oxide gas sensors. The sensors used in this study were ...

  3. Flexible Temperature Sensors on Fibers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcin Sloma

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to present research dedicated to the elaboration of novel, miniaturized flexible temperature sensors for textronic applications. Examined sensors were manufactured on a single yarn, which ensures their high flexibility and good compatibility with textiles. Stable and linear characteristics were obtained by special technological process and applied temperature profiles. As a thermo-sensitive materials the innovative polymer compositions filled with multiwalled carbon nanotubes were used. Elaborated material was adapted to printing and dip-coating techniques to produce NTC composites. Nanotube sensors were free from tensometric effect typical for other carbon-polymer sensor, and demonstrated TCR of 0.13%/K. Obtained temperature sensors, compatible with textile structure, can be applied in rapidly developing smart textiles and be used for health and protections purposes.

  4. Flue gas adsorption by single-wall carbon nanotubes: A Monte Carlo study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero-Hermida, M I; Romero-Enrique, J M; Morales-Flórez, V; Esquivias, L

    2016-08-21

    Adsorption of flue gases by single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) has been studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The flue gas is modeled as a ternary mixture of N2, CO2, and O2, emulating realistic compositions of the emissions from power plants. The adsorbed flue gas is in equilibrium with a bulk gas characterized by temperature T, pressure p, and mixture composition. We have considered different SWCNTs with different chiralities and diameters in a range between 7 and 20 Å. Our results show that the CO2 adsorption properties depend mainly on the bulk flue gas thermodynamic conditions and the SWCNT diameter. Narrow SWCNTs with diameter around 7 Å show high CO2 adsorption capacity and selectivity, but they decrease abruptly as the SWCNT diameter is increased. For wide SWCNT, CO2 adsorption capacity and selectivity, much smaller in value than for the narrow case, decrease mildly with the SWCNT diameter. In the intermediate range of SWCNT diameters, the CO2 adsorption properties may show a peculiar behavior, which depend strongly on the bulk flue gas conditions. Thus, for high bulk CO2 concentrations and low temperatures, the CO2 adsorption capacity remains high in a wide range of SWCNT diameters, although the corresponding selectivity is moderate. We correlate these findings with the microscopic structure of the adsorbed gas inside the SWCNTs.

  5. Flue gas adsorption by single-wall carbon nanotubes: A Monte Carlo study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romero-Hermida, M. I.; Romero-Enrique, J. M.; Morales-Flórez, V.; Esquivias, L.

    2016-01-01

    Adsorption of flue gases by single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) has been studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The flue gas is modeled as a ternary mixture of N 2 , CO 2 , and O 2 , emulating realistic compositions of the emissions from power plants. The adsorbed flue gas is in equilibrium with a bulk gas characterized by temperature T, pressure p, and mixture composition. We have considered different SWCNTs with different chiralities and diameters in a range between 7 and 20 Å. Our results show that the CO 2 adsorption properties depend mainly on the bulk flue gas thermodynamic conditions and the SWCNT diameter. Narrow SWCNTs with diameter around 7 Å show high CO 2 adsorption capacity and selectivity, but they decrease abruptly as the SWCNT diameter is increased. For wide SWCNT, CO 2 adsorption capacity and selectivity, much smaller in value than for the narrow case, decrease mildly with the SWCNT diameter. In the intermediate range of SWCNT diameters, the CO 2 adsorption properties may show a peculiar behavior, which depend strongly on the bulk flue gas conditions. Thus, for high bulk CO 2 concentrations and low temperatures, the CO 2 adsorption capacity remains high in a wide range of SWCNT diameters, although the corresponding selectivity is moderate. We correlate these findings with the microscopic structure of the adsorbed gas inside the SWCNTs.

  6. Nano-Hydroxyapatite Thick Film Gas Sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khairnar, Rajendra S.; Mene, Ravindra U.; Munde, Shivaji G.; Mahabole, Megha P.

    2011-01-01

    In the present work pure and metal ions (Co and Fe) doped hydroxyapatite (HAp) thick films have been successfully utilized to improve the structural, morphological and gas sensing properties. Nanocrystalline HAp powder is synthesized by wet chemical precipitation route, and ion exchange process is employed for addition of Co and Fe ions in HAp matrix. Moreover, swift heavy ion irradiation (SHI) technique is used to modify the surface of pure and metal ion exchanged HAp with various ion fluence. The structural investigation of pure and metal ion exchanged HAp thick films are carried out using X-ray diffraction and the presence of functional group is observed by means FTIR spectroscopy. Furthermore, surface morphology is visualized by means of SEM and AFM analysis. CO gas sensing study is carried out for, pure and metal ions doped, HAp thick films with detail investigation on operating temperature, response/recovery time and gas uptake capacity. The surface modifications of sensor matrix by SHI enhance the gas response, response/recovery and gas uptake capacity. The significant observation is here to note that, addition of Co and Fe in HAp matrix and surface modification by SHI improves the sensing properties of HAp films drastically resulting in gas sensing at relatively lower temperatures.

  7. Nanowire field-effect transistors for gas sensor applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Constantinou, Marios

    Sensing BTEX (Benzene, Ethylbenzene, Toluene, Xylene) pollutants is of utmost importance to reduce health risk and ensure public safety. The lack of sensitivity and selectivity of the current gas sensors and the limited number of available technologies in the field of BTEX-sensing raises the demand for the development of high-performance gas sensors for BTEX applications. The scope of this thesis is the fabrication and characterisation of high-quality field-effect transistors (FETs), with functionalised silicon nanowires (SiNWs), for the selective sensing of benzene vs. other BTEX gases. This research addresses three main challenges in SiNW FET-sensor device development: i) controllable and reproducible assembly of high-quality SiNWs for FET sensor devices using the method of dielectrophoresis (DEP), ii) almost complete elimination of harmful hysteresis effect in the SiNW FET current-voltage characteristics induced by surface states using DMF solvent, iii) selective sensing of benzene with up to ppb range of sensitivity using calix[4]arene-derivatives. It is experimentally demonstrated that frequency-controlled DEP is a powerful tool for the selection and collection of semiconducting SiNWs with advanced electrical and morphological properties, from a poly-disperse as-synthesised NWs. The DEP assembly method also leads to a controllable and reproducible fabrication of high-quality NW-based FETs. The results highlight the superiority of DEP, performed at high signal frequencies (5-20 MHz) to selectively assemble only high-quality NWs which can respond to such high DEP frequencies. The SiNW FETs, with NWs collected at high DEP frequencies, have high mobility (≈50 cm2 V-1 s-1), low sub-threshold-swing (≈1.26 V/decade), high on-current (up to 3 mA) and high on/off ratio (106-107). The DEP NW selection is also demonstrated using an industrially scalable method, to allow establishing of NW response characteristics to different DEP frequencies in a very short time

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  9. A Nose for Hydrogen Gas: Fast, Sensitive H2 Sensors Using Electrodeposited Nanomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penner, Reginald M

    2017-08-15

    Hydrogen gas (H 2 ) is odorless and flammable at concentrations above 4% (v/v) in air. Sensors capable of detecting it rapidly at lower concentrations are needed to "sniff" for leaked H 2 wherever it is used. Electrical H 2 sensors are attractive because of their simplicity and low cost: Such sensors consist of a metal (usually palladium, Pd) resistor. Exposure to H 2 causes a resistance increase, as Pd metal is converted into more resistive palladium hydride (PdH x ). Sensors based upon Pd alloy films, developed in the early 1990s, were both too slow and too insensitive to meet the requirements of H 2 safety sensing. In this Account, we describe the development of H 2 sensors that are based upon electrodeposited nanomaterials. This story begins with the rise to prominence of nanowire-based sensors in 2001 and our demonstration that year of the first nanowire-based H 2 sensor. The Pd nanowires used in these experiments were prepared by electrodepositing Pd at linear step-edge defects on a graphite electrode surface. In 2005, lithographically patterned nanowire electrodeposition (LPNE) provided the capability to pattern single Pd nanowires on dielectrics using electrodeposition. LPNE also provided control over the nanowire thickness (±1 nm) and width (±10-15%). Using single Pd nanowires, it was demonstrated in 2010 that smaller nanowires responded more rapidly to H 2 exposure. Heating the nanowire using Joule self-heating (2010) also dramatically accelerated sensor response and recovery, leading to the conclusion that thermally activated H 2 chemisorption and desorption of H 2 were rate-limiting steps in sensor response to and recovery from H 2 exposure. Platinum (Pt) nanowires, studied in 2012, showed an inverted resistance response to H 2 exposure, that is, the resistance of Pt nanowires decreased instead of increased upon H 2 exposure. H 2 dissociatively chemisorbs at a Pt surface to form Pt-H, but in contrast to Pd, it stays on the Pt surface. Pt nanowires

  10. Real-Time Gas Identification by Analyzing the Transient Response of Capillary-Attached Conductive Gas Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Behzad Bahraminejad

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the ability of the Capillary-attached conductive gas sensor (CGS in real-time gas identification was investigated. The structure of the prototype fabricated CGS is presented. Portions were selected from the beginning of the CGS transient response including the first 11 samples to the first 100 samples. Different feature extraction and classification methods were applied on the selected portions. Validation of methods was evaluated to study the ability of an early portion of the CGS transient response in target gas (TG identification. Experimental results proved that applying extracted features from an early part of the CGS transient response along with a classifier can distinguish short-chain alcohols from each other perfectly. Decreasing time of exposition in the interaction between target gas and sensing element improved the reliability of the sensor. Classification rate was also improved and time of identification was decreased. Moreover, the results indicated the optimum interval of the early transient response of the CGS for selecting portions to achieve the best classification rates.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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...

  12. Membrane-Coated Electrochemical Sensor for Corrosion Monitoring in Natural Gas Pipelines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Beck

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Electrochemical sensors can be used for a wide range of online in- situ process monitoring applications. However, the lack of a consistent electrolyte layer has previously limited electrochemical monitoring in gas and supercritical fluid streams. A solid state sensor is being designed that uses an ion conducting membrane to perform conductivity and corrosion measurements in natural gas pipelines up to 1000 psi. Initial results show that membrane conductivity measurements can be correlated directly to water content down to dew points of 1°C with good linearity. Corrosion monitoring can also be performed using methods such as linear polarization resistance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS, though care must be taken in the electrode design to minimize deviation between sensors.

  13. Synthesis of Large Arrays of Well-Aligned Carbon Nanotubes on Glass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bush, P. Siegal, M.P.; Huang, Z.P.; Provencio, P.N.; Ren, Z.F.; Wang, J.H.; Xu, J.W.

    1998-11-10

    Free-standing aligned carbon nanotubes have previously been grown above 7000C on mesoporous silica embedded with iron nanoparticles. Here, carbon nanotubes aligned over areas up to several square centimeters were grown on nickel-coated glass below 666oC by plasma-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition. Acetylene (C2H2) gas was used as the carbon source and ammonia (NH3) gas was used as a catalyst and dilution gas. Nanotubes with controllable diameters from 20 to 400 nanometers and lengths from 0.1 to 50 micrometers were obtained. Using this method, large panels of aligned carbon nanotubes can be made under conditions that are suitable for device fabrication.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  15. Large-Area High-Performance Flexible Pressure Sensor with Carbon Nanotube Active Matrix for Electronic Skin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nela, Luca; Tang, Jianshi; Cao, Qing; Tulevski, George; Han, Shu-Jen

    2018-03-14

    Artificial "electronic skin" is of great interest for mimicking the functionality of human skin, such as tactile pressure sensing. Several important performance metrics include mechanical flexibility, operation voltage, sensitivity, and accuracy, as well as response speed. In this Letter, we demonstrate a large-area high-performance flexible pressure sensor built on an active matrix of 16 × 16 carbon nanotube thin-film transistors (CNT TFTs). Made from highly purified solution tubes, the active matrix exhibits superior flexible TFT performance with high mobility and large current density, along with a high device yield of nearly 99% over 4 inch sample area. The fully integrated flexible pressure sensor operates within a small voltage range of 3 V and shows superb performance featuring high spatial resolution of 4 mm, faster response than human skin (<30 ms), and excellent accuracy in sensing complex objects on both flat and curved surfaces. This work may pave the road for future integration of high-performance electronic skin in smart robotics and prosthetic solutions.

  16. Carbon nitride nanotube as a sensor for alkali and alkaline earth cations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beheshtian, Javad [Department of Chemistry, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, P.O. Box: 16875-163, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Baei, Mohammad T. [Department of Chemistry, Azadshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Azadshahr, Golestan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Bagheri, Zargham [Physics Group, Science Department, Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr Branch, P.O. Box: 33135-369, Islamshahr, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Peyghan, Ali Ahmadi, E-mail: ahmadi.iau@gmail.com [Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr Branch, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Adsorption of alkali and alkaline earth cations on a CN nanotube studied by DFT. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The alkaline cation adsorption may raise potential barrier of the electron emission. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The tube may act as a sensor in the presence of alkali and alkaline cations. - Abstract: Adsorption of several alkali (Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, and K{sup +}) and alkaline earth (Be{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+}, and Ca{sup 2+}) cations on the surface of a zigzag (9, 0) carbon nitride nanotube has been investigated using density functional theory. It has been found that almost all of the cations prefer to be strongly chemisorbed at the center of porous site of the tube surface. The adsorption of alkaline cations much more influences the electronic properties of the tube, in comparison with the alkali ones, so that it is transformed from an intrinsic semiconductor with HOMO/LUMO energy gap of 4.02 eV to extrinsic p-type one with the gap of 0.54-1.94 eV. The alkaline cation adsorption may significantly raise potential barrier of the electron emission from the tube surface, hence impeding the field emission. It has been also concluded that the electrical sensitivity of the tube toward the cations may be in the order: Be{sup 2+} Much-Greater-Than Mg{sup 2+} Much-Greater-Than Ca{sup 2+} Much-Greater-Than Li{sup +} {approx} Na{sup +} {approx} K{sup +}.

  17. Electrochemical sensors applied to pollution monitoring: Measurement error and gas ratio bias - A volcano plume case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  18. Synthesis, characterization and gas sensing properties of undoped and Zn-doped γ-Fe2O3-based gas sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jing Zhihong

    2006-01-01

    In this study, undoped and Zn-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanopowders have been prepared using Fe(NO 3 ) 3 .9H 2 O and Zn(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O as starting materials and lauryl alcohol as anhydrous medium. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron micrograph (TEM) were employed to characterize the products. Sensitivity characteristics of the undoped and Zn-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 semiconductor gas sensors have been investigated. The results show that both of the undoped and 15 mol% Zn-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 -based gas sensors present good sensitivity and selectivity to acetone and ethanol in presence of CH 4 , H 2 and CO at the operating temperatures of 240 and 270 deg. C, respectively. After being doped with 15 mol% Zn addition, the γ-Fe 2 O 3 -based gas element displays higher sensitivity and selectivity as well as shorter response-recovery time compared with the undoped, suggesting that the promoting effect of ZnO is excellent. So, it seems that the γ-Fe 2 O 3 -based gas sensor doped with 15 mol% Zn is expected to be a promising sensor for detecting acetone and ethanol

  19. The directed preparation of TiO2 nanotubes film on FTO substrate via hydrothermal method for gas sensing application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pham Van Viet

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available In this research, we directly synthesized TiO2 nanotubes film on Fluorine doped Tin oxide (FTO substrate via hydrothermal method from commercial TiO2 in NaOH solution at 135 ℃ for 24 hours. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD pattern, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM and transmitting electron microscopy (TEM. The average diameter of TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs is about 10–12 nm and their length is about a few hundred nanometers. The sensitivity ability of TNTs increases as the gas concentration increases and developing to the highest sensitivity of TNTs is 2.4 at 700 ppm of the ethanol concentration. The same as the gas concentration, the sensitivity of TNTs increases when the temperature increases. Besides, the sensitivity of samples at 250 ℃ is doubled compared to samples determined at 100 ℃.

  20. Electrochemical sensor based on a carbon nanotube-modified imprinted sol–gel for selective and sensitive determination of β2-agonists

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Wei; Liu, Ping; Guo, Chunhui; Dong, Chao; Zhang, Xiuhua; Wang, Shengfu

    2013-01-01

    We describe a molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor for selective and sensitive determination of β2-agonists. It is making use of a combination of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with a molecularly imprinted sol–gel. The SWNTs were introduced in order to enhance electron transport and sensitivity. The imprinted sol–gel film with its specific binding sites acts as a selective recognition element and as a preconcentrator for β 2 -agonists. The morphology of the imprinted film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The optimized sensor displays high sensitivity and excellent selectivity for the β 2 -agonists as shown for their determination in human serum samples. (author)

  1. Highly Sensitive and Selective Hydrogen Gas Sensor Using the Mesoporous SnO2 Modified Layers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niuzi Xue

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available It is important to improve the sensitivities and selectivities of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS gas sensors when they are used to monitor the state of hydrogen in aerospace industry and electronic field. In this paper, the ordered mesoporous SnO2 (m-SnO2 powders were prepared by sol-gel method, and the morphology and structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD, transmission electron microscope (TEM and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET. The gas sensors were fabricated using m-SnO2 as the modified layers on the surface of commercial SnO2 (c-SnO2 by screen printing technology, and tested for gas sensing towards ethanol, benzene and hydrogen with operating temperatures ranging from 200 °C to 400 °C. Higher sensitivity was achieved by using the modified m-SnO2 layers on the c-SnO2 gas sensor, and it was found that the S(c/m2 sensor exhibited the highest response (Ra/Rg = 22.2 to 1000 ppm hydrogen at 400 °C. In this paper, the mechanism of the sensitivity and selectivity improvement of the gas sensors is also discussed.

  2. Development of a novel gas sensor based on oxide thick films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arshak, K.; Gaidan, I.

    2005-01-01

    Zinc and iron oxide thick film gas sensors were fabricated using screen-printing technology on glass substrates that had silver interdigitated electrodes. The sensor was used to detect methanol, ethanol and propanol with a concentration range of 0-8000 ppm. Using the formula to calculate a change in resistance, ΔR = R gas - R air, resistance was seen to increase linearly alongside increasing concentrations of the gas vapours. The sensor showed the highest sensitivity to propanol followed by ethanol and methanol when the operating temperature was 25 deg. C. The sensitivities (slope of graphs) of methanol, ethanol and propanol changed from 0.07, 0.5, and 3.54 to 0.075, 0.115, and 0.5 Ω/ppm when the operating temperature was increased from 25 to 50 deg. C. The response/recovery times of the sensor for 4000 ppm at room temperature were, 10/10, 15/20 and 40/70 s for methanol, ethanol and propanol, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to examine the final composition of the film, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the final composition of grain size. The final composition has two phases: ZnO and ZnFe 2 O 4

  3. Optical Characterization and Applications of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strano, Michael S.

    2005-03-01

    Recent advances in the dispersion and separation of single walled carbon nanotubes have led to new methods of optical characterization and some novel applications. We find that Raman spectroscopy can be used to probe the aggregation state of single-walled carbon nanotubes in solution or as solids with a range of varying morphologies. Carbon nanotubes experience an orthogonal electronic dispersion when in electrical contact that broadens (from 40 meV to roughly 80 meV) and shifts the interband transition to lower energy (by 60 meV). We show that the magnitude of this shift is dependent on the extent of bundle organization and the inter-nanotube contact area. In the Raman spectrum, aggregation shifts the effective excitation profile and causes peaks to increase or decrease, depending on where the transition lies, relative to the excitation wavelength. The findings are particularly relevant for evaluating nanotube separation processes, where relative peak changes in the Raman spectrum can be confused for selective enrichment. We have also used gel electrophoresis and column chromatography conducted on individually dispersed, ultrasonicated single-walled carbon nanotubes to yield simultaneous separation by tube length and diameter. Electroelution after electrophoresis is shown to produce highly resolved fractions of nanotubes with average lengths between 92 and 435 nm. Separation by diameter is concomitant with length fractionation, and nanotubes that have been cut shortest also possess the greatest relative enrichments of large-diameter species. The relative quantum yield decreases nonlinearly as the nanotube length becomes shorter. These findings enable new applications of nanotubes as sensors and biomarkers. Particularly, molecular detection using near infrared (n-IR) light between 0.9 and 1.3 eV has important biomedical applications because of greater tissue penetration and reduced auto-fluorescent background in thick tissue or whole blood media. Carbon nanotubes

  4. Incorporating a hybrid urease-carbon nanotubes sensitive nanofilm on capacitive field-effect sensors for urea detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siqueira, José R; Molinnus, Denise; Beging, Stefan; Schöning, Michael J

    2014-06-03

    The ideal combination among biomolecules and nanomaterials is the key for reaching biosensing units with high sensitivity. The challenge, however, is to find out a stable and sensitive film architecture that can be incorporated on the sensor's surface. In this paper, we report on the benefits of incorporating a layer-by-layer (LbL) nanofilm of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on capacitive electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) field-effect sensors for detecting urea. Three sensor arrangements were studied in order to investigate the adequate film architecture, involving the LbL film with the enzyme urease: (i) urease immobilized directly onto a bare EIS [EIS-urease] sensor; (ii) urease atop the LbL film over the EIS [EIS-(PAMAM/CNT)-urease] sensor; and (iii) urease sandwiched between the LbL film and another CNT layer [EIS-(PAMAM/CNT)-urease-CNT]. The surface morphology of all three urea-based EIS biosensors was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), while the biosensing abilities were studied by means of capacitance-voltage (C/V) and dynamic constant-capacitance (ConCap) measureaments at urea concentrations ranging from 0.1 mM to 100 mM. The EIS-urease and EIS-(PAMAM/CNT)-urease sensors showed similar sensitivity (~18 mV/decade) and a nonregular signal behavior as the urea concentration increased. On the other hand, the EIS-(PAMAM/CNT)-urease-CNT sensor exhibited a superior output signal performance and higher sensitivity of about 33 mV/decade. The presence of the additional CNT layer was decisive to achieve a urea based EIS sensor with enhanced properties. Such sensitive architecture demonstrates that the incorporation of an adequate hybrid enzyme-nanofilm as sensing unit opens new prospects for biosensing applications using the field-effect sensor platform.

  5. A Review on Graphene-Based Gas/Vapor Sensors with Unique Properties and Potential Applications

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Tao Wang; Da Huang; Zhi Yang; Shusheng Xu; Guili He; Xiaolin Li; Nantao Hu; Guilin Yin; Dannong He; Liying Zhang

    2016-01-01

    Graphene-based gas/vapor sensors have attracted much attention in recent years due to their variety of structures, unique sensing performances, room-temperature working conditions, and tremendous application prospects, etc.Herein, we summarize recent advantages in graphene preparation, sensor construction, and sensing properties of various graphene-based gas/vapor sensors, such as NH3, NO2, H2, CO, SO2, H2S, as well as vapor of volatile organic compounds.The detection mechanisms pertaining to various gases are also discussed. In conclusion part, some existing problems which may hinder the sensor applications are presented. Several possible methods to solve these problems are proposed, for example, conceived solutions, hybrid nanostructures, multiple sensor arrays, and new recognition algorithm.

  6. Mobile robot multi-sensor unit for unsupervised gas discrimination in uncontrolled environments

    OpenAIRE

    Xing, Yuxin; Vincent, Timothy A.; Cole, Marina; Gardner, Julian W.; Fan, Han; Hernandez Bennetts, Victor; Schaffernicht, Erik; Lilienthal, Achim

    2017-01-01

    In this work we present a novel multi-sensor unit to detect and discriminate unknown gases in uncontrolled environments. The unit includes three metal oxide (MOX) sensors with CMOS micro heaters, a plasmonic enhanced non-dispersive infra-red (NDIR) sensor, a commercial temperature humidity sensor, and a flow sensor. The proposed sensing unit was evaluated with plumes of gases (propanol, ethanol and acetone) in both, a laboratory setup on a gas testing bench and on-board a mobile robot operati...

  7. Covalent modification of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with neutral red for the fabrication of an amperometric hydrogen peroxide sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeykumari, D R Shobha; Narayanan, S Sriman

    2007-01-01

    The nanoscale dimensions, graphitic surface chemistry and electronic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) make them an ideal candidate for chemical and biochemical sensing. In this paper we explore a covalent chemical strategy for functionalization of MWNTs with neutral red through carbodiimide coupling between the primary amine of neutral red and carboxyl groups of the carbon nanotubes. The construction of an amperometric sensor was achieved by abrasive immobilization of the functionalized MWNTs on a paraffin impregnated graphite electrode followed by a coating of a thin film of nafion. The neutral red functionalized MWNTs were characterized by spectroscopic and electroanalytical methods. From the voltammetric studies, MWNTs were found to exhibit a higher accessible surface area in electrochemical reactions. The modified electrode exhibited stable electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide reduction in a wide potential range. A significant decrease in overvoltage for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, as well as a dramatic increase in the peak currents in comparison with a bare graphite electrode were observed. Such an ability of neutral red functionalized carbon nanotubes to promote the hydrogen peroxide electron transfer reaction with a short response time (<4 s) and long-term stability, a low detection limit, an extended linear concentration range and a high sensitivity suggest great promise for dehydrogenase and oxidase based amperometric biosensors

  8. Covalent modification of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with neutral red for the fabrication of an amperometric hydrogen peroxide sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeykumari, D R Shobha; Narayanan, S Sriman [Department of Analytical Chemistry, School of Chemical Sciences, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai-600 025 (India)

    2007-03-28

    The nanoscale dimensions, graphitic surface chemistry and electronic properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) make them an ideal candidate for chemical and biochemical sensing. In this paper we explore a covalent chemical strategy for functionalization of MWNTs with neutral red through carbodiimide coupling between the primary amine of neutral red and carboxyl groups of the carbon nanotubes. The construction of an amperometric sensor was achieved by abrasive immobilization of the functionalized MWNTs on a paraffin impregnated graphite electrode followed by a coating of a thin film of nafion. The neutral red functionalized MWNTs were characterized by spectroscopic and electroanalytical methods. From the voltammetric studies, MWNTs were found to exhibit a higher accessible surface area in electrochemical reactions. The modified electrode exhibited stable electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide reduction in a wide potential range. A significant decrease in overvoltage for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, as well as a dramatic increase in the peak currents in comparison with a bare graphite electrode were observed. Such an ability of neutral red functionalized carbon nanotubes to promote the hydrogen peroxide electron transfer reaction with a short response time (<4 s) and long-term stability, a low detection limit, an extended linear concentration range and a high sensitivity suggest great promise for dehydrogenase and oxidase based amperometric biosensors.

  9. Flue gas adsorption by single-wall carbon nanotubes: A Monte Carlo study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Romero-Hermida, M. I. [Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real (Spain); Departamento de Física Condensada, Universidad de Sevilla, Av. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Sevilla (Spain); Romero-Enrique, J. M. [Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Área de Física Teórica, Universidad de Sevilla, Av. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Sevilla (Spain); Morales-Flórez, V.; Esquivias, L. [Departamento de Física Condensada, Universidad de Sevilla, Av. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Sevilla (Spain); Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla (CSIC/US), Av. Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Sevilla (Spain)

    2016-08-21

    Adsorption of flue gases by single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) has been studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The flue gas is modeled as a ternary mixture of N{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, and O{sub 2}, emulating realistic compositions of the emissions from power plants. The adsorbed flue gas is in equilibrium with a bulk gas characterized by temperature T, pressure p, and mixture composition. We have considered different SWCNTs with different chiralities and diameters in a range between 7 and 20 Å. Our results show that the CO{sub 2} adsorption properties depend mainly on the bulk flue gas thermodynamic conditions and the SWCNT diameter. Narrow SWCNTs with diameter around 7 Å show high CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity and selectivity, but they decrease abruptly as the SWCNT diameter is increased. For wide SWCNT, CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity and selectivity, much smaller in value than for the narrow case, decrease mildly with the SWCNT diameter. In the intermediate range of SWCNT diameters, the CO{sub 2} adsorption properties may show a peculiar behavior, which depend strongly on the bulk flue gas conditions. Thus, for high bulk CO{sub 2} concentrations and low temperatures, the CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity remains high in a wide range of SWCNT diameters, although the corresponding selectivity is moderate. We correlate these findings with the microscopic structure of the adsorbed gas inside the SWCNTs.

  10. Snowflake-Shaped ZnO Nanostructures-Based Gas Sensor for Sensitive Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tianli Han

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Volatile organic compounds (VOCs have been considered severe risks to human health. Gas sensors for the sensitive detection of VOCs are highly required. However, the preparation of gas-sensing materials with a high gas diffusion performance remains a great challenge. Here, through a simple hydrothermal method accompanied with a subsequent thermal treatment, a special porous snowflake-shaped ZnO nanostructure was presented for sensitive detection of VOCs including diethyl ether, methylbenzene, and ethanol. The fabricated gas sensors exhibit a good sensing performance including high responses to VOCs and a short response/recovery time. The responses of the ZnO-based gas sensor to 100 ppm ethanol, methylbenzene, and diethyl ether are about 27, 21, and 11, respectively, while the response times to diethyl ether and methylbenzene are less than 10 seconds. The gas adsorption-desorption kinetics is also investigated, which shows that the gas-sensing behaviors to different target gases are remarkably different, making it possible for target recognition in practical applications.

  11. Karakterisasi Sensor Gas Lpg (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Dari Bahan Komposit Semikonduktor Tio2(cuo)

    OpenAIRE

    Dewi, Ratna Sari; -, Elvaswer

    2015-01-01

    The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG's) sensor in the form of composite has been characterized. The steps of manufacturing processes are the mixing of materials, calcinations at 500ºC for 4 hours, blended, compacted and sintered at 700ºC for 4 hours. The sensor was tested at room temperature through current (I)-voltage (V) characteristics, sensitivity, and conductivity. Based on measurement I-V characteristic it's known that sample with 10% addition of CuO have sensitivity of 10 at 10 volt vol...

  12. Characterization of nanocarbons (nanotubes and nanofibers) by Inverse Gas Chromatography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    DIaz, E [Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Oviedo, Julian ClaverIa s/n, 33006 Oviedo (Spain); Ordonez, S [Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Oviedo, Julian ClaverIa s/n, 33006 Oviedo (Spain); Vega, A [Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Oviedo, Julian ClaverIa s/n, 33006 Oviedo (Spain)

    2007-04-15

    The adsorption of different alkanes (linear and cyclic), aromatics and chlorohydrocarbons on non-microporous carbons-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibres (CNFs)- was studied in this work by inverse gas chromatography (IGC). Capacity of adsorption was derived from the isotherms of adsorption, whereas thermodynamic properties (enthalpy of adsorption, surface free energy characteristics) have been determined from chromatographic retention data. CNTs present the highest adsorption capacity. From surface free energy data, enthalpies of adsorption of polar compounds were divided into dispersive and specific contributions. The interactions of cyclic (benzene and cyclohexane) and chlorinated compounds (trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene and chloroform) with the surfaces are mainly dispersive over all the carbons tested, being CNTs the material with the highest dispersive contribution. Adsorption parameters were correlated with morphological and chemical properties of the materials.

  13. Functionalized carbon nanotubes mixed matrix membranes of polymers of intrinsic microporosity for gas separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Muntazim Munir; Filiz, Volkan; Bengtson, Gisela; Shishatskiy, Sergey; Rahman, Mushfequr; Abetz, Volker

    2012-09-06

    The present work reports on the gas transport behavior of mixed matrix membranes (MMM) which were prepared from multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and dispersed within polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) matrix. The MWCNTs were chemically functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) for a better dispersion in the polymer matrix. MMM-incorporating functionalized MWCNTs (f-MWCNTs) were fabricated by dip-coating method using microporous polyacrylonitrile membrane as a support and were characterized for gas separation performance. Gas permeation measurements show that MMM incorporated with pristine or functionalized MWCNTs exhibited improved gas separation performance compared to pure PIM-1. The f-MWCNTs MMM show better performance in terms of permeance and selectivity in comparison to pristine MWCNTs. The gas permeances of the derived MMM are increased to approximately 50% without sacrificing the selectivity at 2 wt.% of f-MWCNTs' loading. The PEG groups on the MWCNTs have strong interaction with CO2 which increases the solubility of polar gas and limit the solubility of nonpolar gas, which is advantageous for CO2/N2 selectivity. The addition of f-MWCNTs inside the polymer matrix also improved the long-term gas transport stability of MMM in comparison with PIM-1. The high permeance, selectivity, and long term stability of the fabricated MMM suggest that the reported approach can be utilized in practical gas separation technology.

  14. Fabrication and characterization of nano-gas sensor arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, H. S.; Kashyout, A. B.; Morsi, I.; Nasser, A. A. A.; Raafat, A.

    2015-01-01

    A novel structures of Nanomaterials gas sensors array constructed using ZnO, and ZnO doped with Al via sol-gel technique. Two structure arrays are developed; the first one is a double sensor array based on doping with percentages of 1% and 5%. The second is a quadrature sensor array based on several doping ratios concentrations (0%, 1%, 5% and 10%). The morphological structures of prepared ZnO were revealed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal a highly crystallized wurtzite structure and used for identifying phase structure and chemical state of both ZnO and ZnO doped with Al under different preparation conditions and different doping ratios. Chemical composition of Al-doped ZnO nanopowders was performed using energy dispersive x-ray (EDS) analysis. The electrical characteristics of the sensor are determined by measuring the two terminal sensor’s output resistance for O 2 , H 2 and CO 2 gases as a function of temperature

  15. Fabrication and characterization of nano-gas sensor arrays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hassan, H. S., E-mail: hassan.shokry@gmail.com; Kashyout, A. B., E-mail: hady8@yahoo.com [Electronic Materials Researches Department, Advanced Technology and New Materials Research Institute, City of Scientific Researches and technological applications, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria (Egypt); Morsi, I., E-mail: drimanmorsi@yahoo.com; Nasser, A. A. A., E-mail: menem-1954@yahoo.com; Raafat, A., E-mail: abrs-218@yahoo.com [Arab Academy for Science and Technology, and Maritime Transport, Alexandria, 21936 (Egypt)

    2015-03-30

    A novel structures of Nanomaterials gas sensors array constructed using ZnO, and ZnO doped with Al via sol-gel technique. Two structure arrays are developed; the first one is a double sensor array based on doping with percentages of 1% and 5%. The second is a quadrature sensor array based on several doping ratios concentrations (0%, 1%, 5% and 10%). The morphological structures of prepared ZnO were revealed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal a highly crystallized wurtzite structure and used for identifying phase structure and chemical state of both ZnO and ZnO doped with Al under different preparation conditions and different doping ratios. Chemical composition of Al-doped ZnO nanopowders was performed using energy dispersive x-ray (EDS) analysis. The electrical characteristics of the sensor are determined by measuring the two terminal sensor’s output resistance for O{sub 2}, H{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} gases as a function of temperature.

  16. Tunable synthesis of copper nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaniukov, E; Yakimchuk, D; Kozlovsky, A; Shlimas, D; Zdorovets, M; Kadyrzhanov, K

    2016-01-01

    Simple method of tunable synthesis of copper nanotubes based on template synthesis was developed. A comprehensive study of the structural, morphological and electrical characteristics of the obtained nanostructures was carried out. Characterization of structural features was made by methods of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry analysis. Evaluation of wall thickness is made by methods of gas permeability. Electrical conductivity of nanotubes was define in the study of their current-voltage characteristics. The possibility to control of copper nanotubes physical properties by variation of the deposition parameters was shown. (paper)

  17. Gas Sensor Based on 3-D WO₃ Inverse Opal: Design and Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  19. Analysis of nanoparticles with an optical sensor based on carbon nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stäb, J.; Furin, D.; Fechner, P.; Proll, G.; Soriano-Dotor, L. M.; Ruiz-Palomero, C.; Valcárcel, M.; Gauglitz, G.

    2017-05-01

    Nanomaterials play an important role in science and in every day products. This is due to their varied and specific properties, whereby especially engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have shown various beneficial properties for a wide range of application in consumables (e.g. cosmetics, drinks, food and food packaging). Silver nanoparticles for instance are hidden in meat packaging materials or in deodorants. Reasons for this can be found in the antibacterial effect of silver, which leads to high applicability in consumer products. However, ENPs are under permanent discussion due to their unforeseen hazards and an unknown disposition in living organisms and the environment. So far, there is a lack of methods, which allows for the fast and effective characterization and quantification of such nanoparticles in complex matrices (e.g. creams, fruit juice), since matrix components can impede a specific detection of the analyte. It was the objective of project INSTANT to address this topic and compose a method to detect nanoparticles as a first step. Therefore, the development of a sensor system with an upstream sample preparation for the characterization and quantification of specific nanoparticles in complex matrices using a label free optical sensor array in combination with novel recognition elements was developed. The promising optical technology iRIfS (imaging reflectometric interference sensor) was used for this purpose. As a recognition element, functionalized carbon nanotubes can be effectively used. Owing to their excellent electronical, mechanical and chemical properties, CNTs have already been used for extracting ENPs from complex matrices as sorbent material by filtration. After successful immobilization of CNTs on microscope glass slides e.g. the detection of stabilized silver nanoparticles extracted by a sample preparation unit using the iRIfS technology was performed.

  20. Thin-film antifuses for pellistor type gas sensors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kovalgin, Alexeij Y.; Holleman, J.; van den Berg, Albert; Wallinga, Hans

    2001-01-01

    This work extends our previously reported idea of using the nano-scale conductive link (antifuse) as a combined heating /detecting element in a Pellistor-type gas sensor. Our new thin-film antifuse is designed in such a way that the oxide, for minimising the bulk influence on surface temperature,

  1. PDMS membranes as sensing element in optical sensors for gas detection in water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefania Torino

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS has been introduced the first time about 20years ago. This polymer is worldwide used for the rapid prototyping of microfluidic device through a replica molding process. However, the great popularity of PDMS is not only related to its easy processability, but also to its chemical and physical properties. For its interesting properties, the polymer has been implied for several applications, including sensing. In this work, we investigated how to use functionalized PDMS membranes as sensing elements in optical sensors for gas detection in water samples. Keywords: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR sensors, Gas sensor

  2. Bimodular high temperature planar oxygen gas sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangcheng eSun

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available A bimodular planar O2 sensor was fabricated using NiO nanoparticles (NPs thin film coated yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ substrate. The thin film was prepared by radio frequency (r.f. magnetron sputtering of NiO on YSZ substrate, followed by high temperature sintering. The surface morphology of NiO nanoparticles film was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. X-ray diffraction (XRD patterns of NiO NPs thin film before and after high temperature O2 sensing demonstrated that the sensing material possesses a good chemical and structure stability. The oxygen detection experiments were performed at 500 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C using the as-prepared bimodular O2 sensor under both potentiometric and resistance modules. For the potentiometric module, a linear relationship between electromotive force (EMF output of the sensor and the logarithm of O2 concentration was observed at each operating temperature, following the Nernst law. For the resistance module, the logarithm of electrical conductivity was proportional to the logarithm of oxygen concentration at each operating temperature, in good agreement with literature report. In addition, this bimodular sensor shows sensitive, reproducible and reversible response to oxygen under both sensing modules. Integration of two sensing modules into one sensor could greatly enrich the information output and would open a new venue in the development of high temperature gas sensors.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcello Mascini

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  5. Light-controlling, flexible and transparent ethanol gas sensor based on ZnO nanoparticles for wearable devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Z Q; Yao, J D; Wang, B; Yang, G W

    2015-06-16

    In recent years, owing to the significant applications of health monitoring, wearable electronic devices such as smart watches, smart glass and wearable cameras have been growing rapidly. Gas sensor is an important part of wearable electronic devices for detecting pollutant, toxic, and combustible gases. However, in order to apply to wearable electronic devices, the gas sensor needs flexible, transparent, and working at room temperature, which are not available for traditional gas sensors. Here, we for the first time fabricate a light-controlling, flexible, transparent, and working at room-temperature ethanol gas sensor by using commercial ZnO nanoparticles. The fabricated sensor not only exhibits fast and excellent photoresponse, but also shows high sensing response to ethanol under UV irradiation. Meanwhile, its transmittance exceeds 62% in the visible spectral range, and the sensing performance keeps the same even bent it at a curvature angle of 90(o). Additionally, using commercial ZnO nanoparticles provides a facile and low-cost route to fabricate wearable electronic devices.

  6. The Effect of Zeolite Composition and Grain Size on Gas Sensing Properties of SnO2/Zeolite Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanhui Sun

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to improve the sensing properties of tin dioxide gas sensor, four kinds of different SiO2/Al2O3 ratio, different particle size of MFI type zeolites (ZSM-5 were coated on the SnO2 to prepared zeolite modified gas sensors, and the gas sensing properties were tested. The measurement results showed that the response values of ZSM-5 zeolite (SiO2/Al2O3 = 70, grain size 300 nm coated SnO2 gas sensors to formaldehyde vapor were increased, and the response to acetone decreased compared with that of SnO2 gas sensor, indicating an improved selectivity property. The other three ZSM-5 zeolites with SiO2/Al2O3 70, 150 and 470, respectively, and grain sizes all around 1 μm coated SnO2 sensors did not show much difference with SnO2 sensor for the response properties to both formaldehyde and acetone. The sensing mechanism of ZSM-5 modified sensors was briefly analyzed.

  7. Highly Sensitive and Selective Gas Sensor Using Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Graphenes

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  8. Improved zinc oxide film for gas sensor applications

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a versatile material for different commercial applications such as transparent electrodes, piezoelectric devices, varistors, SAW devices etc because of its high piezoelectric coupling, greater stability of its hexagonal phase and its pyroelectric property. In fact, ZnO is a potential material for gas sensor ...

  9. Effect of mixture ratios and nitrogen carrier gas flow rates on the morphology of carbon nanotube structures grown by CVD

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Malgas, GF

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports on the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by thermal Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) and investigates the effects of nitrogen carrier gas flow rates and mixture ratios on the morphology of CNTs on a silicon substrate by vaporizing...

  10. Optical ammonia gas sensor based on a porous silicon rugate filter coated with polymer-supported dye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Yunling; Wang, Xiaobo; Xu, Erchao; Tong, Changlun; Wu, Jianmin

    2011-01-24

    An ammonia gas sensor chip was prepared by coating an electrochemically-etched porous Si rugate filter with a chitosan film that is crosslinked by glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). The bromothylmol blue (BTB), a pH indicator, was loaded in the film as ammonia-sensing molecules. White light reflected from the porous Si has a narrow bandwidth spectrum with a peak at 610 nm. Monitoring reflective optical intensity at the peak position allows for direct, real-time observation of changes in the concentration of ammonia gas in air samples. The reflective optical intensity decreased linearly with increasing concentrations of ammonia gas over the range of 0-100 ppm. The lowest detection limit was 0.5 ppm for ammonia gas. At optimum conditions, the full response time of the ammonia gas sensor was less than 15s. The sensor chip also exhibited a good long-term stability over 1 year. Therefore, the simple sensor design has potential application in miniaturized optical measurement for online ammonia gas detection. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Nano Ag-Doped In2O3 Thick Film: A Low-Temperature H2S Gas Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. N. Chavan

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Thick films of AR grade In2O3 were prepared by standard screen-printing technique. The gas sensing performances of thick films were tested for various gases. It showed maximum sensitivity to ethanol vapour at 350°C for 80 ppm concentration. To improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the film towards a particular gas, In2O3 sensors were surface-modified by dipping them in a solution of 2% nanosilver for different intervals of time. Obtained results indicated that spherical nano-Ag grains are highly dispersed on the surface of In2O3sensor. The surface area of the nano-Ag/ In2O3 sensor is several times larger than that of pure In2O3 sensor. In comparison with pure In2O3 sensor, all of the nano-Ag-doped sensors showed better sensing performance in respect of response, selectivity, and optimum operating temperature. The surface-modified (30 min In2O3 sensor showed larger sensitivity to H2S gas (10 ppm at 100°C. Nano silver on the surface of the film shifts the reactivity of film from ethanol vapour to H2S gas. A systematic study of gas sensing performance of the sensor indicates the key role played by the nano silver species on the surface. The sensitivity, selectivity, response, and recovery time of the sensor were measured and presented.

  12. Highly sensitive and selective room-temperature NO_2 gas sensor based on bilayer transferred chemical vapor deposited graphene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seekaew, Yotsarayuth; Phokharatkul, Ditsayut; Wisitsoraat, Anurat; Wongchoosuk, Chatchawal

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Simple and low-cost fabrication of bilayer graphene gas sensor was presented. • Layer effects of graphene on NO_2 gas-sensing properties were investigated. • Bilayer graphene sensor exhibited a high linear NO_2 sensitivity of 1.409 ppm"−"1. • The NO_2-sensing mechanisms based on band diagram were highlighted. - Abstract: This work presents a highly sensitive room-temperature gas sensor based on bilayer graphene fabricated by an interfacial transfer of chemical vapor deposited graphene onto nickel interdigitated electrodes. Scanning electron microscopic and Raman spectroscopic characterizations confirm the presence of graphene on interdigitated nickel electrodes with varying numbers of graphene layers. The NO_2 detection performances of bilayer graphene gas sensor have been investigated in comparison with those of monolayer and multilayer graphene gas sensors at room temperature. From results, the bilayer graphene gas sensor exhibits higher response, sensitivity and selectivity to NO_2 than monolayer and multilayer graphene. The sensitivity of bilayer graphene gas sensor is 1.409 ppm"−"1 towards NO_2 over a concentration range of 1–25 ppm, which is more than twice higher than that of monolayer graphene. The NO_2-sensing mechanism of graphene sensing film has been explained based on the direct charge transfer process due to the adsorption of NO_2 molecules.

  13. Modeling and Experimental Study on Characterization of Micromachined Thermal Gas Inertial Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Su

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Micromachined thermal gas inertial sensors based on heat convection are novel devices that compared with conventional micromachined inertial sensors offer the advantages of simple structures, easy fabrication, high shock resistance and good reliability by virtue of using a gaseous medium instead of a mechanical proof mass as key moving and sensing elements. This paper presents an analytical modeling for a micromachined thermal gas gyroscope integrated with signal conditioning. A simplified spring-damping model is utilized to characterize the behavior of the sensor. The model relies on the use of the fluid mechanics and heat transfer fundamentals and is validated using experimental data obtained from a test-device and simulation. Furthermore, the nonideal issues of the sensor are addressed from both the theoretical and experimental points of view. The nonlinear behavior demonstrated in experimental measurements is analyzed based on the model. It is concluded that the sources of nonlinearity are mainly attributable to the variable stiffness of the sensor system and the structural asymmetry due to nonideal fabrication.

  14. Comparative study of graphene nanosheet- and multiwall carbon nanotube-based electrochemical sensor for the sensitive detection of cadmium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Lidong; Fu, Xiaochen; Liu, Huan; Li, Jincheng; Song, Yi

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Schematic diagram of nanographene-based sensor detection of cadmium ions by stripping analysis. - Highlights: • A nanocomposite based on nanographene and Nafion is used as a platform for cadmium detection. • The performance of the nanographene-based sensor was compared with that of MWCNT. • It indicated that the nanographene-based sensor possessed significant advantages over MWCNT. • The nanographene-based sensor proved to be a reliable tool for rapid detection of cadmium. - Abstract: A novel nanocomposite was obtained through the controlled surface modification of graphene nanosheets (nanographene) with Nafion by ultrasonic oscillation. The composite was used as an ultrasensitive platform for the detection of cadmium ions (Cd 2+ ) by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) analysis. The performance of the nanographene-based sensor was systematically compared with that of a multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-modified sensor. The results indicate that the nanographene-based sensor exhibits significant advantages over the MWCNT-based sensor in terms of repeatability, sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD). The nanographene-based sensor displayed superior analytical performance over a linear range of Cd 2+ concentrations from 0.25 μg L −1 to 5 μg L −1 , with a LOD of 3.5 ng L −1 . This sensor was also used to systematically screen for 6 types of chemicals, including sodium salts, magnesium salts and zinc salts. It was observed that the sensor could successfully differentiate cadmium ions from interferents (magnesium salts, zinc salts, etc.). The nanographene-based sensor was also demonstrated to be a promising and reliable tool for the rapid detection of cadmium existing in tap water and for the rapid on-site analysis of critical pollution levels of cadmium

  15. Evaluation of dimension effects on a capillary-attached gas sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahraminejad, Behzad; Basri, Shahnor; Isa, Maryam; Hambli, Zarida

    2010-01-01

    The analysis and useful gas sensing properties of a capillary-attached gas sensor (CGS) have been recently investigated. The aim of the present work was the assessment of dimension effects on the CGS sensing properties both diameterwise and lengthwise. CGS samples in different dimensions were fabricated and tested by exposure to different target gases in different concentration ranges. Dimension effects on CGS properties such as selectivity, sensitivity, rise time and input range were investigated. It was observed that the CGS with smaller diameter and longer lengths generated more selective information. However, decreasing sensitivity and increasing minimum input range were some disadvantages of smaller diameters. Longer length also made longer rise time and slower sensor. Finally, the optimum ranges for the CGS in length and diameter were suggested

  16. Process for derivatizing carbon nanotubes with diazonium species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tour, James M. (Inventor); Bahr, Jeffrey L. (Inventor); Yang, Jiping (Inventor)

    2007-01-01

    The invention incorporates new processes for the chemical modification of carbon nanotubes. Such processes involve the derivatization of multi- and single-wall carbon nanotubes, including small diameter (ca. 0.7 nm) single-wall carbon nanotubes, with diazonium species. The method allows the chemical attachment of a variety of organic compounds to the side and ends of carbon nanotubes. These chemically modified nanotubes have applications in polymer composite materials, molecular electronic applications and sensor devices. The methods of derivatization include electrochemical induced reactions thermally induced reactions (via in-situ generation of diazonium compounds or pre-formed diazonium compounds), and photochemically induced reactions. The derivatization causes significant changes in the spectroscopic properties of the nanotubes. The estimated degree of functionality is ca. 1 out of every 20 to 30 carbons in a nanotube bearing a functionality moiety. Such electrochemical reduction processes can be adapted to apply site-selective chemical functionalization of nanotubes. Moreover, when modified with suitable chemical groups, the derivatized nanotubes are chemically compatible with a polymer matrix, allowing transfer of the properties of the nanotubes (such as, mechanical strength or electrical conductivity) to the properties of the composite material as a whole. Furthermore, when modified with suitable chemical groups, the groups can be polymerized to form a polymer that includes carbon nanotubes ##STR00001##.

  17. Single-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite microacoustic organic vapor sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Penza, M. [ENEA, Materials and New Technologies Unit, SS. 7, Appia, km 714, 72100 Brindisi (Italy)]. E-mail: michele.penza@brindisi.enea.it; Tagliente, M.A. [ENEA, Materials and New Technologies Unit, SS. 7, Appia, km 714, 72100 Brindisi (Italy); Aversa, P. [ENEA, Materials and New Technologies Unit, SS. 7, Appia, km 714, 72100 Brindisi (Italy); Cassano, G. [ENEA, Materials and New Technologies Unit, SS. 7, Appia, km 714, 72100 Brindisi (Italy); Capodieci, L. [ENEA, Materials and New Technologies Unit, SS. 7, Appia, km 714, 72100 Brindisi (Italy)

    2006-07-15

    We have developed highly sensitive microacoustic vapor sensors based on surface acoustic waves (SAWs) configured as oscillators using a two-port resonator 315, 433 and 915 MHz device. A nanocomposite film of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) embedded in a cadmium arachidate (CdA) amphiphilic organic matrix was prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett technique with a different SWCNTs weight filler content onto SAW transducers as nanosensing interface for vapor detection, at room temperature. The structural properties and surface morphology of the nanocomposite have been examined by X-ray diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The sensing properties of SWCNTs nanocomposite LB films consisting of tangled nanotubules have been also investigated by using Quartz Crystal Microbalance 10 MHz AT-cut quartz resonators. The measured acoustic sensing characteristics indicate that the room-temperature SAW sensitivity to polar and nonpolar tested organic molecules (ethanol, ethylacetate, toluene) of the SWCNTs-in-CdA nanocomposite increases with the filler content of SWCNTs incorporated in the nanocomposite; also the SWCNTs-in-CdA nanocomposite vapor sensitivity results significantly enhanced with respect to traditional organic molecular cavities materials with a linearity in the frequency change response for a given nanocomposite weight composition and a very low sub-ppm limit of detection.

  18. Novel Modified Optical Fibers for High Temperature In-Situ Miniaturized Gas Sensors in Advanced Fossil Energy Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pickrell, Gary [Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA (United States); Scott, Brian [Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA (United States)

    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 of 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 CO2 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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tharun Konduru

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  20. Thermal detection mechanism of SiC based hydrogen resistive gas sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fawcett, Timothy J.; Wolan, John T.; Lloyd Spetz, Anita; Reyes, Meralys; Saddow, Stephen E.

    2006-10-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) resistive hydrogen gas sensors have been fabricated and tested. Planar NiCr contacts were deposited on a thin 3C-SiC epitaxial film grown on thin Si wafers bonded to polycrystalline SiC substrates. At 673K, up to a 51.75±0.04% change in sensor output current and a change in the device temperature of up to 163.1±0.4K were demonstrated in response to 100% H2 in N2. Changes in device temperature are shown to be driven by the transfer of heat from the device to the gas, giving rise to a thermal detection mechanism.

  1. Self Powered Non-Dispersive Infra-Red CO{sub 2} Gas Sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gibson, D R; MacGregor, C, E-mail: des@gassensing.co.uk [Gas Sensing Solutions Ltd, 60 Grayshill Road, Westfield North Courtyard, Glasgow G68 9HQ (United Kingdom)

    2011-08-17

    This paper describes a non-dispersive infra-red CO{sub 2} gas sensor, incorporating a mid-infra-red solid state light source/ detector combination, tuned to match the spectral absorption characteristic of CO{sub 2} gas. Injection moulded optics provide low cost manufacture. Continuous operation power consumption is < 3.5mW and pulsed mode with energy per measurement < 6mJ. Self powered operation using a solar cell is demonstrated together with wireless capability. Performance of two path length variants (20mm and 70mm) is described. The sensor shows invariant temperature output characteristic from -25 to 50 deg. C. Accuracy level is typically {+-}3% of reading.

  2. Sensors of the gas CO in thin film of SnO2:Cu

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tirado G, S.; Sanchez Z, F. E.

    2011-10-01

    Thin films of SnO 2 :Cu with different thickness, were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates and prepared by the Sol-gel process and repeated immersion. The sensor properties of these films to the gas CO for the range of 0-200 ppm in the gas concentration and operating to temperatures of 23, 100, 200, and 300 C were studied. Prepared films of pure SnO 2 were modified superficially with 1, 3, 5 and 10 layers of the catalyst Cu (SnO 2 :Cu) with the purpose of studying the effect on the sensor capacity of the gas CO by part of the films SnO 2 :Cu. Using the changes in the electric properties of the films with the incorporation of the different copper layers and experimental conditions, the sensor modifications of the gas CO were evaluated. To complete this study, was realized a characterization of the superficial morphology of the films by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, equally was studied their structure and their electric and optical properties. (Author)

  3. Nanocrystalline Pd:NiFe2O4 thin films: A selective ethanol gas sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rao, Pratibha; Godbole, R.V.; Bhagwat, Sunita

    2016-01-01

    In this work, Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 thin films were investigated for the detection of reducing gases. These films were fabricated using spray pyrolysis technique and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the crystal structure. The surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Magnetization measurements were carried out using SQUID VSM, which shows ferrimagnetic behavior of the samples. These thin film sensors were tested against methanol, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide and liquid petroleum gas, where they were found to be more selective to ethanol. The fabricated thin film sensors exhibited linear response signal for all the gases with concentrations up to 5 w/o Pd. Reduction in optimum operating temperature and enhancement in response was also observed. Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 thin films exhibited faster response and recovery characteristic. These sensors have potential for industrial applications because of their long-term stability, low power requirement and low production cost. - Highlights: • Ethanol gas sensors based on Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 nanoparticle thin film were fabricated. • Pd incorporation in NiFe 2 O 4 matrix inhibits grain growth. • The sensors were more selective to ethanol gas. • Sensors exhibited fast response and recovery when doped with palladium. • Pd:NiFe 2 O 4 thin film sensor displays excellent long–term stability.

  4. Very short functionalized carbon nanotubes for membrane applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fonseca, A.; Reijerkerk, Sander; Potreck, Jens; Nijmeijer, Dorothea C.; Mekhalif, Z.; Delhalle, J.

    2010-01-01

    The cutting and functionalization of carbon nanotubes is described, applying a single-step ball-mill based process. Very short carbon nanotubes bearing primary amine functions were produced, characterized and incorporated in polymeric membranes. The gas separation performance of the composite

  5. Terahertz gas sensor based on absorption-induced transparency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Sergio G.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A system for the detection of spectral signatures of gases at the Terahertz regime is presented. The system consists in an initially opaque holey metal film whereby the introduction of a gas provokes the appearance of spectral features in transmission and reflection, due to the phenomenom of absorption-induced transparency (AIT. The peaks in transmission and dips in reflection observed in AIT occur close to the absorption energies of the molecules, hence its name. The presence of the gas would be thus revealed as a strong drop in reflectivity measurements at one (or several of the gas absorption resonances. As a proof of principle, we theoretically demonstrate how the AIT-based sensor would serve to detect tiny amounts of hydrocyanic acid.

  6. Low-Power, Chip-Scale, Carbon Dioxide Gas Sensors for Spacesuit Monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  7. Gas adsorption capacity in an all carbon nanomaterial composed of carbon nanohorns and vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puthusseri, Divya; Babu, Deepu J; Okeil, Sherif; Schneider, Jörg J

    2017-10-04

    Whereas vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) typically show a promising adsorption behavior at high pressures, carbon nanohorns (CNHs) exhibit superior gas adsorption properties in the low pressure regime due to their inherent microporosity. These adsorption characteristics are further enhanced when both materials are opened at their tips. The so prepared composite material allows one to investigate the effect of physical entrapment of CO 2 molecules within the specific adsorption sites of VACNTs composed of opened double walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and in specific adsorption sites created by spherically aggregated opened single walled carbon nanohorns. Combining 50 wt% of tip opened CNTs with tip opened CNHs increases the CO 2 adsorption capacity of this material by ∼24% at 30 bar and 298 K compared to opened CNHs alone.

  8. Processing-structure-property relationships of carbon nanotube and nanoplatelet enabled piezoresistive sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Sida

    Individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess excellent piezoresistive performance, which is manifested by the significant electrical resistance change when subject to mechanical deformation. In comparison to individual CNTs, the CNT thin films, formed by a random assembly of individual tubes or bundles, show much lower piezoresistive sensitivity. Given the progress made to date in developing CNT ensemble based-piezoresistive sensors, the related piezoresistive mechanism(s) are still not well understood. The crucial step to obtain a better understanding of this issue is to study the effects of CNT structure in the dispersion on the piezoresistivity of CNT ensemble based-piezoresistive sensors. To reach this goal, my Ph.D. research first focuses on establishing the processing-structure-property relationship of SWCNT thin film piezoresistive sensors. The key accomplishment contains: 1) developing the combined preparative ultracentrifuge method (PUM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) method to quantitatively characterized SWCNT particle size in dispersions under various sonication conditions; 2) designing combined ultrasonication and microfluidization processing protocol for high throughput and large-scale production of high quality SWCNT dispersions; 3) fabricating varied SWCNT thin film piezoresistive sensors through spray coating technique and immersion-drying post-treatment; and 4) investigating the effect of microstructures of SWCNTs on piezoresistivity of SWCNT thin film sensors. This experimental methodology for quantitative and systematic investigation of the processing-structure-property relationships provides a means for the performance optimization of CNT ensemble based piezoresistive sensors. As a start to understand the piezoresistive mechanism, the second focus of my Ph.D. research is studying charge transport behaviors in SWCNT thin films. It was found that the temperature-dependent sheet resistance of SWCNT thin films could be explained by a 3D variable

  9. Multifunctional Carbon Nanotube-Based Sensors for Damage Detection and Self Healing in Structural Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-29

    established based on the concept of equipotential surface . The effect of nanotube length on the critical charge level is plotted in Fig. 17. Fig...walled carbon nanotubes was used to develop composites with agglomerated regions of nanotubes at the fiber surface [3]. An image of the nanotube...coating on the surface of two E-glass fibers is shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5. (a) Carbon nanotube agglomerates on the surface of glass fibers in the

  10. Dielectrophoretic assembly of carbon nanotube devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dimaki, Maria

    The purpose of this project has been to assemble single-walled carbon nanotubes on electrodes at the tip of a biocompatible cantilever and use these for chemical species sensing in air and liquid, for example in order to measure the local activity from ion channels in the cell membrane....... The electrical resistance of carbon nanotubes has been shown to be extremely sensitive to gas molecules. Dielectrophoresis is a method capable of quickly attracting nanotubes on microelectrodes by using an electric field, thus enabling nanotube integration in microsystems. Dielectrophoresis offers also....... A model for the dielectrophoretic assembly of carbon nanotubes on microelectrodes was developed and several simulations were conducted using values from the available literature for the various key parameters. The model can give qualitative results regarding the parameters dominating the dielectrophoretic...

  11. Dielectric and Electrical Properties of WS2 Nanotubes/Epoxy Composites and Their Use for Stress Monitoring of Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Sedova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The dielectric and electrical characteristics of the semiconductive WS2 nanotubes/epoxy composites were studied as a function of the nanotubes concentration and the pressure applied during their molding. In addition, the ability of WS2 nanotubes to serve as stress sensors in epoxy based nanocomposites, for health-monitoring applications, was studied. The nanocomposite elements were loaded in three-point bending configuration. The direct current was monitored simultaneously with stress-strain measurements. It was found that, in nanocomposites, above the percolation concentrations of the nanotubes, the electrical conductivity increases considerably with the applied load and hence WS2 nanotubes can be potentially used as sensors for health monitoring of structural components.

  12. Facile Synthesis of Ternary Boron Carbonitride Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luo Lijie

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this study, a novel and facile approach for the synthesis of ternary boron carbonitride (B–C–N nanotubes was reported. Growth occurred by heating simple starting materials of boron powder, zinc oxide powder, and ethanol absolute at 1150 °C under a mixture gas flow of nitrogen and hydrogen. As substrate, commercial stainless steel foil with a typical thickness of 0.05 mm played an additional role of catalyst during the growth of nanotubes. The nanotubes were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDX, and EELS. The results indicate that the synthesized B–C–N nanotubes exhibit a bamboo-like morphology and B, C, and N elements are homogeneously distributed in the nanotubes. A catalyzed vapor–liquid–solid (VLS mechanism was proposed for the growth of the nanotubes.

  13. Thiourea-treated graphene aerogel as a highly selective gas sensor for sensing of trace level of ammonia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alizadeh, Taher, E-mail: talizadeh@ut.ac.ir [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University College of Science, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6455, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ahmadian, Farzaneh [Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Daneshgah Street, P.B179, 56199-11367 Ardabil (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-10-15

    As a result of this study, a new and simple method was proposed for the fabrication of an ultra sensitive, robust and reversible ammonia gas sensor. The sensing mechanism was based upon the change in electrical resistance of a graphene aerogel as a result of sensor exposing to ammonia. Three-dimensional graphene hydrogel was first synthesized via hydrothermal method in the absence or presence of various amounts of thiourea. The obtained material was heated to obtain aerogel and then it was used as ammonia gas sensor. The materials obtained were characterized using different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thiourea-treated graphene aerogel was more porous (389 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}) and thermally unstable and exhibited higher sensitivity, shorter response time and better selectivity toward ammonia gas, compared to the aerogel produced in the absence of thiourea. Thiourea amount, involved in the hydrogel synthesis step, was found to be highly effective factor in the sensing properties of finally obtained aerogel. The sensor response time to ammonia was short (100 s) and completely reversible (recovery time of about 500 s) in ambient temperature. The sensor response to ammonia was linear between 0.02 and 85 ppm and its detection limit was found to be 10 ppb (3S/N). - Highlights: • An ammonia gas sensor with ppb level determination capability was proposed. • A new procedure has been introduced for gas sensor fabrication by graphene hydrogel. • Thiourea-treated graphene aerogel was used as excellent ammonia gas sensor.

  14. Toward high value sensing: monolayer-protected metal nanoparticles in multivariable gas and vapor sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potyrailo, Radislav A

    2017-08-29

    For detection of gases and vapors in complex backgrounds, "classic" analytical instruments are an unavoidable alternative to existing sensors. Recently a new generation of sensors, known as multivariable sensors, emerged with a fundamentally different perspective for sensing to eliminate limitations of existing sensors. In multivariable sensors, a sensing material is designed to have diverse responses to different gases and vapors and is coupled to a multivariable transducer that provides independent outputs to recognize these diverse responses. Data analytics tools provide rejection of interferences and multi-analyte quantitation. This review critically analyses advances of multivariable sensors based on ligand-functionalized metal nanoparticles also known as monolayer-protected nanoparticles (MPNs). These MPN sensing materials distinctively stand out from other sensing materials for multivariable sensors due to their diversity of gas- and vapor-response mechanisms as provided by organic and biological ligands, applicability of these sensing materials for broad classes of gas-phase compounds such as condensable vapors and non-condensable gases, and for several principles of signal transduction in multivariable sensors that result in non-resonant and resonant electrical sensors as well as material- and structure-based photonic sensors. Such features should allow MPN multivariable sensors to be an attractive high value addition to existing analytical instrumentation.

  15. The effects of two thick film deposition methods on tin dioxide gas sensor performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakrania, Smitesh D; Wooldridge, Margaret S

    2009-01-01

    This work demonstrates the variability in performance between SnO(2) thick film gas sensors prepared using two types of film deposition methods. SnO(2) powders were deposited on sensor platforms with and without the use of binders. Three commonly utilized binder recipes were investigated, and a new binder-less deposition procedure was developed and characterized. The binder recipes yielded sensors with poor film uniformity and poor structural integrity, compared to the binder-less deposition method. Sensor performance at a fixed operating temperature of 330 °C for the different film deposition methods was evaluated by exposure to 500 ppm of the target gas carbon monoxide. A consequence of the poor film structure, large variability and poor signal properties were observed with the sensors fabricated using binders. Specifically, the sensors created using the binder recipes yielded sensor responses that varied widely (e.g., S = 5 - 20), often with hysteresis in the sensor signal. Repeatable and high quality performance was observed for the sensors prepared using the binder-less dispersion-drop method with good sensor response upon exposure to 500 ppm CO (S = 4.0) at an operating temperature of 330 °C, low standard deviation to the sensor response (±0.35) and no signal hysteresis.

  16. The Effects of Two Thick Film Deposition Methods on Tin Dioxide Gas Sensor Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smitesh D. Bakrania

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available This work demonstrates the variability in performance between SnO2 thick film gas sensors prepared using two types of film deposition methods. SnO2 powders were deposited on sensor platforms with and without the use of binders. Three commonly utilized binder recipes were investigated, and a new binder-less deposition procedure was developed and characterized. The binder recipes yielded sensors with poor film uniformity and poor structural integrity, compared to the binder-less deposition method. Sensor performance at a fixed operating temperature of 330 ºC for the different film deposition methods was evaluated by exposure to 500 ppm of the target gas carbon monoxide. A consequence of the poor film structure, large variability and poor signal properties were observed with the sensors fabricated using binders. Specifically, the sensors created using the binder recipes yielded sensor responses that varied widely (e.g., S = 5 – 20, often with hysteresis in the sensor signal. Repeatable and high quality performance was observed for the sensors prepared using the binder-less dispersion-drop method with good sensor response upon exposure to 500 ppm CO (S = 4.0 at an operating temperature of 330 ºC, low standard deviation to the sensor response (±0.35 and no signal hysteresis.

  17. Selective Sensing of Gas Mixture via a Temperature Modulation Approach: New Strategy for Potentiometric Gas Sensor Obtaining Satisfactory Discriminating Features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fu-An; Jin, Han; Wang, Jinxia; Zou, Jie; Jian, Jiawen

    2017-03-12

    A new strategy to discriminate four types of hazardous gases is proposed in this research. Through modulating the operating temperature and the processing response signal with a pattern recognition algorithm, a gas sensor consisting of a single sensing electrode, i.e., ZnO/In₂O₃ composite, is designed to differentiate NO₂, NH₃, C₃H₆, CO within the level of 50-400 ppm. Results indicate that with adding 15 wt.% ZnO to In₂O₃, the sensor fabricated at 900 °C shows optimal sensing characteristics in detecting all the studied gases. Moreover, with the aid of the principle component analysis (PCA) algorithm, the sensor operating in the temperature modulation mode demonstrates acceptable discrimination features. The satisfactory discrimination features disclose the future that it is possible to differentiate gas mixture efficiently through operating a single electrode sensor at temperature modulation mode.

  18. A wide range optical pH sensor for living cells using Au@Ag nanoparticles functionalized carbon nanotubes based on SERS signals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Peng; Wang, Zhuyuan; Zong, Shenfei; Chen, Hui; Zhu, Dan; Zhong, Yuan; Cui, Yiping

    2014-10-01

    p-Aminothiophenol (pATP) functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been demonstrated as an efficient pH sensor for living cells. The proposed sensor employs gold/silver core-shell nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) functionalized MWCNTs hybrid structure as the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate and pATP molecules as the SERS reporters, which possess a pH-dependent SERS performance. By using MWCNTs as the substrate to be in a state of aggregation, the pH sensing range could be extended to pH 3.0∼14.0, which is much wider than that using unaggregated Au@Ag NPs without MWCNTs. Furthermore, the pH-sensitive performance was well retained in living cells with a low cytotoxicity. The developed SERS-active MWCNTs-based nanocomposite is expected to be an efficient intracellular pH sensor for bio-applications.

  19. Fiber Optic Chemical Nanosensors Based on Engineered Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Consales

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In this contribution, a review of the development of high-performance optochemical nanosensors based on the integration of carbon nanotubes with the optical fiber technology is presented. The paper first provide an overview of the amazing features of carbon nanotubes and their exploitation as highly adsorbent nanoscale materials for gas sensing applications. Successively, the attention is focused on the operating principle, fabrication, and characterization of fiber optic chemosensors in the Fabry-Perot type reflectometric configuration, realized by means of the deposition of a thin layer of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs upon the distal end of standard silica optical fibers. This is followed by an extensive review of the excellent sensing capabilities of the realized SWCNTs-based chemical nanosensors against volatile organic compounds and other pollutants in different environments (air and water and operating conditions (room temperature and cryogenic temperatures. The experimental results reported here reveal that ppm and sub-ppm chemical detection limits, low response times, as well as fast and complete recovery of the sensor responses have been obtained in most of the investigated cases. This evidences the great potentialities of the proposed photonic nanosensors based on SWCNTs to be successfully employed for practical environmental monitoring applications both in liquid and vapor phase as well as for space. Furthermore, the use of novel SWCNTs-based composites as sensitive fiber coatings is proposed to enhance the sensing performance and to improve the adhesion of carbon nanotubes to the fiber surface. Finally, new advanced sensing configurations based on the use of hollow-core optical fibers coated and partially filled by carbon nanotubes are also presented.

  20. Detecting Lyme disease using antibody-functionalized carbon nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dailey, Jennifer; Lerner, Mitchell; Goldsmith, Brett; Brisson, Dustin; Johnson, A. T. Charlie

    2011-03-01

    We combine antibodies for Lyme flagellar protein with carbon nanotube transistors to create an electronic sensor capable of definitive detection of Lyme disease. Over 35,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported in the United States each year, of which more than 23 percent are originally misdiagnosed. Rational design of the coupling of the biological system to the electronic system gives us a flexible sensor platform which we can apply to several biological systems. By coupling these antibodies to carbon nanotubes in particular, we allow for fast, sensitive, highly selective, electronic detection. Unlike antibody or biomarker detection, bacterial protein detection leads to positive identification of both early and late stage bacterial infections, and is easily expandable to environmental monitoring.

  1. Thermogravimetric Analysis of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arepalli, Sivram; Nikolaev, Pavel; Gorelik, Olga

    2010-01-01

    An improved protocol for thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of samples of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) material has been developed to increase the degree of consistency among results so that meaningful comparisons can be made among different samples. This improved TGA protocol is suitable for incorporation into the protocol for characterization of carbon nanotube material. In most cases, TGA of carbon nanotube materials is performed in gas mixtures that contain oxygen at various concentrations. The improved protocol is summarized.

  2. Noble gas encapsulation into carbon nanotubes: Predictions from analytical model and DFT studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balasubramani, Sree Ganesh; Singh, Devendra; Swathi, R. S., E-mail: swathi@iisertvm.ac.in [School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER-TVM), Kerala 695016 (India)

    2014-11-14

    The energetics for the interaction of the noble gas atoms with the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are investigated using an analytical model and density functional theory calculations. Encapsulation of the noble gas atoms, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe into CNTs of various chiralities is studied in detail using an analytical model, developed earlier by Hill and co-workers. The constrained motion of the noble gas atoms along the axes of the CNTs as well as the off-axis motion are discussed. Analyses of the forces, interaction energies, acceptance and suction energies for the encapsulation enable us to predict the optimal CNTs that can encapsulate each of the noble gas atoms. We find that CNTs of radii 2.98 − 4.20 Å (chiral indices, (5,4), (6,4), (9,1), (6,6), and (9,3)) can efficiently encapsulate the He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe atoms, respectively. Endohedral adsorption of all the noble gas atoms is preferred over exohedral adsorption on various CNTs. The results obtained using the analytical model are subsequently compared with the calculations performed with the dispersion-including density functional theory at the M06 − 2X level using a triple-zeta basis set and good qualitative agreement is found. The analytical model is however found to be computationally cheap as the equations can be numerically programmed and the results obtained in comparatively very less time.

  3. Aplikasi Sistem Peringatan Dini Pada Kebocoran Gas Dan Asap Menggunakan Sensor Gas MQ-7 Dengan Program C

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aan Burhanudin

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract - Health Safety and Environment (HSE in the development will be more accentuate on the prevention of occupational accidents and occupational diseases by identifying the potential to cause accidents and occupational diseases as well as anticipatory measures in case of accidents and occupational diseases. The working environment is directly in contact with toxic materials would be very harmful to the human body when exposed continuously. An environment or factory containing toxic gases as an example of CO, SO or LPG gas in certain concentrations can cause eye irritation or shortness of breath. Therefore we need an early warning system that can measure the concentration of these gases and may give a warning to workers associated with the concentration of the gas to the workers. The early warning system was made using three gas sensors, three heat sensors, LEDs and buzzer. Recitation and processing of the sensor is processed by a 16 bit microcontroller which will condition the room. In making such a system is used programmable fuzzy algorithms previously simulated with MATLAB, C Programming used as logic programming refers to the simulation results, miniature rooms created with three main space for workers in a hallway and an emergency exit. The results of such a system is in a room when the detected gas concentration exceeds the threshold, the system will activate the buzzer and will activated LED as the safest evacuation route directions. Keyword -- C Proframming, Fuzzy Logic, Matlab

  4. Nozzle-less Ultrasonic Spray Deposition for Flexible Ammonia and Ozone Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mónica ACUAUTLA

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In the last years printing and flexible electronic is transforming the way we used electronic devices. Among these, special interest is given to the development of gas sensors for industrial and environmental applications. Nozzle-less ultrasonic spray deposition is a simple and precise technique, which offers good homogeneity and high quality of the sensitive thin film. In addition, it represents a potential fabrication process for flexible electronic with low cost production and low waste of material. In this paper, nanoparticles of zinc oxide were deposited by nozzle-less ultrasonic spray deposition on flexible substrate. The sensing properties towards reducing and oxidizing gases in function of the operational temperature are reported. The flexible platform consists in titanium/platinum interdigitated electrodes and a micro-heater device, both fabricated by lift-off and photolithography. The operating temperature of the sensor is also challenging in term of power consumption. It is allowing the reaction with the exposure gases. Most of the semiconducting metal oxide materials used for gas sensing applications require high temperatures above 250 °C. Flexible gas sensors fabricated in this work present good responses towards ammonia and ozone at 300 °C and 200 °C respectively, with fast response and recovery time in a wide range of gas concentration.

  5. The effect of different order of purification treatments on the purity of multiwalled carbon nanotubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ling, Xinlong [College of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, 2999 North People Road, Shanghai 201620 (China); Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University of Technology, 268 Donghuan Road, Liuzhou 545006 (China); Wei, Yizhe [College of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, 2999 North People Road, Shanghai 201620 (China); Zou, Liming, E-mail: lmzou@dhu.edu.cn [College of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, 2999 North People Road, Shanghai 201620 (China); Xu, Su [College of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, 2999 North People Road, Shanghai 201620 (China)

    2013-07-01

    The multiwalled carbon nanotubes were purified with different order treatments of gas phase and liquid phase. Amorphous carbon and iron catalysts were removed and some oxygen-containing groups were attached to the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes after purification. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes were determined and characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Boehm's neutralizing titration method and weighing method. The morphology of multiwalled carbon nanotubes was verified using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated amorphous carbon and iron catalysts were removed completely while the structure of multiwalled carbon nanotubes was slightly destructed by two treatment methods. Three principal oxygen-containing groups on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes were carboxyl, lactone and phenolic hydroxyl in descending order of their concentrations. The method I including gas phase treatment firstly and then liquid phase treatment, is more effective to purify multiwalled carbon nanotubes and to protect the structure of multiwalled carbon nanotubes than method II including liquid phase treatment firstly and then gas phase treatment.

  6. Gas Sensor Based on 3-D WO3 Inverse Opal: Design and Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruiqing Xing

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available 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.

  7. Long term investigations of carbon nanotube transistors encapsulated by atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 for sensor applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helbling, T; Hierold, C; Roman, C; Durrer, L; Mattmann, M; Bright, V M

    2009-01-01

    Single-walled carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNFETs) are promising functional structures in future micro- or nanoelectronic systems and sensor applications. Research on the fundamental device concepts includes the investigation of the conditions for stable long term CNFET operation. CNFET operation in ambient air leads to on-state current degradation and fluctuating signals due to the well-known sensitivity of the electronic properties of the CNT to many environmental condition changes. It is the goal of device and sensor research to understand various kinds of sensor-environment interactions and to overcome the environmental sensitivity. Here, we show that the encapsulation of CNFETs by a thermal atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) aluminium oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) layer of approximately 100 nm leads to stable device operation for 260 days and reduces their sensitivity to the environment. The characteristics of CNFETs prior to and after Al 2 O 3 encapsulation are comparatively investigated. It is found that encapsulation improves the stability of the CNFET characteristics with respect to the gate threshold voltage, hysteresis width and the on-state current, while 1/f noise is lowered by up to a factor of 7. Finally, CNFETs embedded in a dielectric membrane are employed as pressure sensors to demonstrate sensor operation of CNFETs encapsulated by ALD as piezoresistive transducers.

  8. Combined raman and IR fiber-based sensor for gas detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Jerry C; Chan, James W; Trebes, James E; Angel, Stanley M; Mizaikoff, Boris

    2014-06-24

    A double-pass fiber-optic based spectroscopic gas sensor delivers Raman excitation light and infrared light to a hollow structure, such as a hollow fiber waveguide, that contains a gas sample of interest. A retro-reflector is placed at the end of this hollow structure to send the light back through the waveguide where the light is detected at the same end as the light source. This double pass retro reflector design increases the interaction path length of the light and the gas sample, and also reduces the form factor of the hollow structure.

  9. Supersensitive, Fast-Response Nanowire Sensors by Using Schottky Contacts

    KAUST Repository

    Hu, Youfan

    2010-05-31

    A Schottky barrier can be formed at the interface between a metal electrode and a semiconductor. The current passing through the metal-semiconductor contact is mainly controlled by the barrier height and barrier width. In conventional nanodevices, Schottky contacts are usually avoided in order to enhance the contribution made by the nanowires or nanotubes to the detected signal. We present a key idea of using the Schottky contact to achieve supersensitive and fast response nanowire-based nanosensors. We have illustrated this idea on several platforms: UV sensors, biosensors, and gas sensors. The gigantic enhancement in sensitivity of up to 5 orders of magnitude shows that an effective usage of the Schottky contact can be very beneficial to the sensitivity of nanosensors. © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Highly sensitive and selective room-temperature NO{sub 2} gas sensor based on bilayer transferred chemical vapor deposited graphene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seekaew, Yotsarayuth [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900 (Thailand); Phokharatkul, Ditsayut; Wisitsoraat, Anurat [Nanoelectronics and MEMS Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Wongchoosuk, Chatchawal, E-mail: chatchawal.w@ku.ac.th [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900 (Thailand)

    2017-05-15

    Highlights: • Simple and low-cost fabrication of bilayer graphene gas sensor was presented. • Layer effects of graphene on NO{sub 2} gas-sensing properties were investigated. • Bilayer graphene sensor exhibited a high linear NO{sub 2} sensitivity of 1.409 ppm{sup −1}. • The NO{sub 2}-sensing mechanisms based on band diagram were highlighted. - Abstract: This work presents a highly sensitive room-temperature gas sensor based on bilayer graphene fabricated by an interfacial transfer of chemical vapor deposited graphene onto nickel interdigitated electrodes. Scanning electron microscopic and Raman spectroscopic characterizations confirm the presence of graphene on interdigitated nickel electrodes with varying numbers of graphene layers. The NO{sub 2} detection performances of bilayer graphene gas sensor have been investigated in comparison with those of monolayer and multilayer graphene gas sensors at room temperature. From results, the bilayer graphene gas sensor exhibits higher response, sensitivity and selectivity to NO{sub 2} than monolayer and multilayer graphene. The sensitivity of bilayer graphene gas sensor is 1.409 ppm{sup −1} towards NO{sub 2} over a concentration range of 1–25 ppm, which is more than twice higher than that of monolayer graphene. The NO{sub 2}-sensing mechanism of graphene sensing film has been explained based on the direct charge transfer process due to the adsorption of NO{sub 2} molecules.

  11. A pathway to eliminate the gas flow dependency of a hydrocarbon sensor for automotive exhaust applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Hagen

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Gas sensors will play an essential role in future combustion-based mobility to effectively reduce emissions and monitor the exhausts reliably. In particular, an application in automotive exhausts is challenging due to the high gas temperatures that come along with highly dynamic flow rates. Recently, a thermoelectric hydrocarbon sensor was developed by using materials which are well known in the exhausts and therefore provide the required stability. As a sensing mechanism, the temperature difference that is generated between a catalytically activated area during the exothermic oxidation of said hydrocarbons and an inert area of the sensor is measured by a special screen-printed thermopile structure. As a matter of principle, this thermovoltage significantly depends on the mass flow rate of the exhausts under certain conditions. The present contribution helps to understand this cross effect and proposes a possible setup for its avoidance. By installing the sensor in the correct position of a bypass solution, the gas flow around the sensor is almost free of turbulence. Now, the signal depends only on the hydrocarbon concentration and not on the gas flow. Such a setup may open up new possibilities of applying novel sensors in automotive exhausts for on-board-measurement (OBM purposes.

  12. Multi-Gas Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachse, Glenn W. (Inventor); Wang, Liang-Guo (Inventor); LeBel, Peter J. (Inventor); Steele, Tommy C. (Inventor); Rana, Mauro (Inventor)

    1999-01-01

    A multi-gas sensor is provided which modulates a polarized light beam over a broadband of wavelengths between two alternating orthogonal polarization components. The two orthogonal polarization components of the polarization modulated beam are directed along two distinct optical paths. At least one optical path contains one or more spectral discrimination element, with each spectral discrimination element having spectral absorption features of one or more gases of interest being measured. The two optical paths then intersect, and one orthogonal component of the intersected components is transmitted and the other orthogonal component is reflected. The combined polarization modulated beam is partitioned into one or more smaller spectral regions of interest where one or more gases of interest has an absorption band. The difference in intensity between the two orthogonal polarization components is then determined in each partitioned spectral region of interest as an indication of the spectral emission/absorption of the light beam by the gases of interest in the measurement path. The spectral emission/absorption is indicative of the concentration of the one or more gases of interest in the measurement path. More specifically, one embodiment of the present invention is a gas filter correlation radiometer which comprises a polarizer, a polarization modulator, a polarization beam splitter, a beam combiner, wavelength partitioning element, and detection element. The gases of interest are measured simultaneously and, further, can be measured independently or non-independently. Furthermore, optical or electronic element are provided to balance optical intensities between the two optical paths.

  13. The Development of a Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow Sensor Applicable to CBM Wellbore Annulus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Chuan; Wen, Guojun; Han, Lei; Wu, Xiaoming

    2016-11-18

    The measurement of wellbore annulus gas-liquid two-phase flow in CBM (coalbed methane) wells is of great significance for reasonably developing gas drainage and extraction processes, estimating CBM output, judging the operating conditions of CBM wells and analyzing stratum conditions. Hence, a specially designed sensor is urgently needed for real-time measurement of gas-liquid two-phase flow in CBM wellbore annulus. Existing flow sensors fail to meet the requirements of the operating conditions of CBM wellbore annulus due to such factors as an inapplicable measurement principle, larger size, poor sealability, high installation accuracy, and higher requirements for fluid media. Therefore, based on the principle of a target flowmeter, this paper designs a new two-phase flow sensor that can identify and automatically calibrate different flow patterns of two-phase flows. Upon the successful development of the new flow sensor, lab and field tests were carried out, and the results show that the newly designed sensor, with a measurement accuracy of ±2.5%, can adapt to the operating conditions of CBM wells and is reliable for long-term work.

  14. Preparation and characterization of ALD deposited ZnO thin films studied for gas sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boyadjiev, S.I., E-mail: boiajiev@gmail.com [MTA-BME Technical Analytical Chemistry Research Group, Szent Gellért tér 4, Budapest, H-1111 (Hungary); Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Georgieva, V. [Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Yordanov, R. [Department of Microelectronics, Technical University of Sofia, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia (Bulgaria); Raicheva, Z. [Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Szilágyi, I.M. [MTA-BME Technical Analytical Chemistry Research Group, Szent Gellért tér 4, Budapest, H-1111 (Hungary); Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Szent Gellért tér 4, Budapest, H-1111 (Hungary)

    2016-11-30

    Highlights: • For the first time the gas sensing towards NO{sub 2} of very thin ALD ZnO films is studied. • The very thin ALD ZnO films showed excellent sensitivity to NO{sub 2} at room temperature. • These very thin film ZnO-based QCM sensors very well register even low concentrations. • The sensors have fully reversible sorption and are able to be recovered in short time. • Described fast and cost-effective ALD deposition of ZnO thin films for QCM gas sensor. - Abstract: Applying atomic layer deposition (ALD), very thin zinc oxide (ZnO) films were deposited on quartz resonators, and their gas sensing properties were studied using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. The gas sensing of the ZnO films to NO{sub 2} was tested in the concentration interval between 10 and 5000 ppm. On the basis of registered frequency change of the QCM, for each concentration the sorbed mass was calculated. Further characterization of the films was carried out by various techniques, i.e. by SEM-EDS, XRD, ellipsometry, and FTIR spectroscopy. Although being very thin, the films were gas sensitive to NO{sub 2} already at room temperature and could register very well as low concentrations as 100 ppm, while the sorption was fully reversible. Our results for very thin ALD ZnO films show that the described fast, simple and cost-effective technology could be implemented for producing gas sensors working at room temperature and being capable to detect in real time low concentrations of NO{sub 2}.

  15. Carbon nanotube- and carbon fiber-reinforcement of ethylene-octene copolymer membranes for gas and vapor separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sedláková, Zuzana; Clarizia, Gabriele; Bernardo, Paola; Jansen, Johannes Carolus; Slobodian, Petr; Svoboda, Petr; Kárászová, Magda; Friess, Karel; Izak, Pavel

    2014-01-03

    Gas and vapor transport properties were studied in mixed matrix membranes containing elastomeric ethylene-octene copolymer (EOC or poly(ethylene-co-octene)) with three types of carbon fillers: virgin or oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon fibers (CFs). Helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, methane, and carbon dioxide were used for gas permeation rate measurements. Vapor transport properties were studied for the aliphatic hydrocarbon (hexane), aromatic compound (toluene), alcohol (ethanol), as well as water for the representative samples. The mechanical properties and homogeneity of samples was checked by stress-strain tests. The addition of virgin CNTs and CFs improve mechanical properties. Gas permeability of EOC lies between that of the more permeable PDMS and the less permeable semi-crystalline polyethylene and polypropylene. Organic vapors are more permeable than permanent gases in the composite membranes, with toluene and hexane permeabilities being about two orders of magnitude higher than permanent gas permeability. The results of the carbon-filled membranes offer perspectives for application in gas/vapor separation with improved mechanical resistance.

  16. Carbon Nanotube- and Carbon Fiber-Reinforcement of Ethylene-Octene Copolymer Membranes for Gas and Vapor Separation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zuzana Sedláková

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Gas and vapor transport properties were studied in mixed matrix membranes containing elastomeric ethylene-octene copolymer (EOC or poly(ethylene-co-octene with three types of carbon fillers: virgin or oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs and carbon fibers (CFs. Helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, methane, and carbon dioxide were used for gas permeation rate measurements. Vapor transport properties were studied for the aliphatic hydrocarbon (hexane, aromatic compound (toluene, alcohol (ethanol, as well as water for the representative samples. The mechanical properties and homogeneity of samples was checked by stress-strain tests. The addition of virgin CNTs and CFs improve mechanical properties. Gas permeability of EOC lies between that of the more permeable PDMS and the less permeable semi-crystalline polyethylene and polypropylene. Organic vapors are more permeable than permanent gases in the composite membranes, with toluene and hexane permeabilities being about two orders of magnitude higher than permanent gas permeability. The results of the carbon-filled membranes offer perspectives for application in gas/vapor separation with improved mechanical resistance.

  17. Al2O3- BSST Based Chemical Sensors for Ammonia Gas Sensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. A. Patil

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Gas sensing behaviour of pure and modified (Ba0.9Sr0.1(Sn0.5Ti0.5O3 (BSST thick films is reported in this article. The surface of the BSST thick film was modified by dipping it into aqueous solution of AlCl3, for different intervals of time. These films were then dried at 500 0C for 24 hours in air ambient for transformation of AlCl3 into Al2O3, for the evaporation of organic binders and also to improve the texture of the film. The gas response, selectivity, response and recovery time of the sensors were measured and presented. The role played by the aluminium species to improve the gas sensing performance of the sensors is discussed.

  18. Aligned carbon nanotube with electro-catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Di-Jia; Yang, Junbing; Wang, Xiaoping

    2010-08-03

    A catalyst for an electro-chemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of a bundle of longitudinally aligned carbon nanotubes having a catalytically active transition metal incorporated longitudinally in said nanotubes. A method of making an electro-chemical catalyst for an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) having a bundle of longitudinally aligned carbon nanotubes with a catalytically active transition metal incorporated throughout the nanotubes, where a substrate is in a first reaction zone, and a combination selected from one or more of a hydrocarbon and an organometallic compound containing an catalytically active transition metal and a nitrogen containing compound and an inert gas and a reducing gas is introduced into the first reaction zone which is maintained at a first reaction temperature for a time sufficient to vaporize material therein. The vaporized material is then introduced to a second reaction zone maintained at a second reaction temperature for a time sufficient to grow longitudinally aligned carbon nanotubes over the substrate with a catalytically active transition metal incorporated throughout the nanotubes.

  19. Distinguishing feature of metal oxide films' structural engineering for gas sensor applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korotcenkov, G; Golovanov, V; Brinzari, V; Cornet, A; Morante, J; Ivanov, M

    2005-01-01

    The different methods of structural engineering, used for improvement of solid state gas sensors parameters are reviewed in this paper. The wide possibilities of structural engineering in optimization of gas sensing properties were demonstrated on the example of thin tin dioxide films deposited by spray pyrolysis

  20. Effect of Indium Doping on the Sensitivity of SnO2 Gas Sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suharni; Sayono

    2009-01-01

    The dependence of sensitivity f SnO 2 gas sensors on indium concentration has been studied. Undoped and indium-doped SnO 2 gas sensors have been prepared by DC sputtering technique with following parameters i.e : electrode voltage of 3 kV, current 20 mA, vacuum pressure 1.8 × 10 -1 torr, deposition time 60 minutes and temperature of 200℃. The effect of weight variations of indium in order of 0.0370; 0.0485 and 0.0702 grams into SnO 2 thin film gas sensor for optimum result were investigated. The measurement of resistance, sensitivity and response time for various temperature for detecting of carbon monoxide (CO), Ammonia (NH 3 ) and acetone (CH 3 COCH 3 ) gas for indium doped has been done. From the analysis result shows that for indium doped 0.0702 g on the SnO 2 the resistance can be decreased from 832.0 kΩ to 3.9 kΩ and the operating temperature from 200℃ to 90℃ and improving the sensitivity from 15.92% to 40.09% and a response time from 30 seconds to 10 seconds for CO. (author)