Synthesis of mesoporous tin oxide and its application as a LNG sensor

The nanostructured SnO2 gas sensor with Au electrodes and Pt heater has been fabricated as one unit via screen printing process. The gas sensor was tested for CH4 sensing behavior at 350 degrees C in the concentration range of 500-10,000 ppm. Those mesoporous SnO2 sensors exhibited the similar sensoring properties in CH4 and CO detection. The fast speed of response and high sensitivity were obtained for mesoporous tin oxide sensor as compared to non-porous one.     

The effect of carbon nanotube dispersion on CO gas sensing characteristics of polyaniline gas sensor

Polyaniline is one of the most promising conducting polymers for gas sensing applications due to its relatively high stability and n or p type doping capability. However, the conventionally doped polyaniline still exhibits relatively high resistivity, which causes difficulty in gas sensing measurement. In this work, the effect of carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersion on CO gas sensing characteristics of polyaniline gas sensor is studied. The carbon nanotube was synthesized by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) using acetylene and argon gases at 600 degrees C. The Maleic acid doped Emeradine based polyaniline was synthesized by chemical polymerization of aniline. CNT was then added and dispersed in the solution by ultrasonication and deposited on to interdigitated AI electrode by solvent casting. The sensors were tested for CO sensing at room temperature with CO concentrations in the range of 100-1000 ppm. It was found that the gas sensing characteristics of polyaniline based gas sensor were considerably improved with the inclusion of CNT in polyaniline. The sensitivity was increased and response/recovery times were reduced by more than the factor of 2. The results, therefore, suggest that the inclusion of CNT in MA-doped polyaniline is a promising method for achieving a conductive polymer gas sensor with good sensitivity, fast response, low-concentration detection and room-operating-temperature capability.     

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence from tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) immobilized in titania-perfluorosulfonated ionomer composite films

Electrochemical behavior and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)3(2+)) immobilized in sol-gel-derived titania TiO2)-Nafion composite films coated on a glassy carbon electrode have been investigated. The electroactivity of Ru(bpy)3(2+) ion exchanged into the composite films and its ECL behavior were strongly dependent upon the amount of Nafion incorporated into the TiO2-Nafion composite films. The ECL sensor of Ru(bpy)32+ immobilized in a TiO2-Nafion composite with 50% Nafion content showed the maximum ECL intensities for both tripropylamine (TPA) and sodium oxalate in 0.05 M phosphate buffer solution at pH 7. Detection limits were 0.1 microM for TPA and 1.0 microM for oxalate (S/N = 3) with a linear range of 3 orders of magnitude in concentration. The present ECL sensor showed improved ECL sensitivity and long-term stability, as compared to the ECL sensors based on pure Nafion films. The present Ru(bpy)3(2+) ECL sensor based on TiO2-Nafion (50%) composite films was applied as an HPLC detector for the determination of erythromycin in human urine samples. The present Ru(bpy)3(2+) ECL sensor was stable in the mobile phase containing a high content of organic solvent (30%, v/v), in contrast to a pure Nafion-based Ru(bpy)3(2+) ECL sensor. The detection limit for erythromycin was 1.0 microM, with a linear range of 3 orders of magnitude in concentration.     

(Ba(x)La(1-x)(2))In(2)O(5+x) (0.4 < or = x < or = 0.6) electrolyte-supported mixed-potential CO sensors

The dense (Ba(x)La(1-x)(2))In(2)O(5+x) electrolytes with different compositions (x = 0.4, 0.5, 0.6) were synthesized by Pechini method. The obtained sintered (Ba(x)La(1-x)(2))In(2)O(5+x) electrolytes showed a high relative density of approximately 98%, and the major phase of three electrolyte compositions was indexed as a cubic phase. The CO sensing properties of as-fabricated planar-type (Ba(x)La(1-x)(2))In(2)O(5+x)-based sensors coupled with ITO and Pt as the sensing electrode and reference electrode, respectively, were investigated. The effects of factors such as gas flow rate, chemical compositions, and density of the electrolytes on the sensing performance were investigated. The sensors showed good sensitivity to different concentrations of CO from approximately 100 to approximately 500 ppm and excellent selectivity over low concentrations of methane (<500 ppm). Linear relationships between emf of the sensors and CO gas concentrations from approximately 100 to approximately 400 ppm were observed. However, the sensors indicated more sluggish response compared with the sensors coupled with a corresponding porous electrolyte. The probable reason has been discussed. The long-term stability of the sensor for the detection of CO was also investigated, which indicated a reasonably stable sensor signal after an initial decline during the incubation period.     

Nafion film/K(+)-exchanged glass optical waveguide sensor for BTX detection

An optical waveguide (OWG) sensor for the detection of BTX gases is reported. The highly sensitive element of this sensor was made by coating the copper Nafion film over a single-mode potassium ion exchanged glass OWG. We used the OWG sensor to detect toluene gas as a typical example BTX gas. The sensor exhibits a linear response to toluene in the range of 0.25-4250 ppm with response and recovery times less than 25 s. The sensor has a short response time, high sensitivity, and good reversibility.     

Controlled Synthesis of Hollow Cu2‐xTe Nanocrystals Based on the Kirkendall Effect and Their Enhanced CO Gas‐Sensing Properties

This paper develops a facile solution‐based method to synthesize hollow Cu_2‐xTe nanocrystals (NCs) with tunable interior volume based on the Kirkendall effect. Transmission electron microscopy images and time‐dependent absorption spectra reveal the temporal growth process from solid copper nanoparticles to hollow Cu_2‐xTe NCs. Furthermore, the as‐prepared hollow Cu_2‐xTe NCs show enhanced sensitivity for the detection of carbon monoxide (CO), which is often referred to as the “silent killer”. The response and recovery time of the as‐prepared sensor for the detection of 100 ppm CO gas are estimated to be about 21 and 100 s, respectively, which are sufficient to render it a promising candidate for effective CO gas‐sensing applications. Such enhanced performance is achieved owing to the small grain size and large specific area of the hollow nanostructures. Therefore, the obtained hollow NCs based on the Kirkendall effect may have the potential as new functional blocks for high‐performance gas sensors.     

Sensor properties of Pt doped SnO2 thin films for detecting CO

Polycristalline Pt-doped SnO₂ thin films have been integrated to silicon substrate by ultrasonic spray deposition. This deposition technique differs from the usual SnO₂ deposition methods by using a liquid source. It allows one to obtain a very fine and homogeneous dispersion of Pt aggregates which act as a catalyst for the low temperature CO detection (25–100°C) by conductance change. The influence of synthesis temperature (460–560°C), concentration of Pt additive (0.1–5 at.%) on gas sensitivity has been studied. The realisation of gas sensor includes a gas sensitive highly porous layer (SnO₂/Pt, thickness: ∼1 μm). The results of electrical measurements under 300 ppm of CO for thin films in a dynamic and quasistatic regime are discussed. The narrow peak of gas sensitivity in the range of low temperatures (25–100°C) is obtained for about 2 at.% Pt in the SnO₂ film.     

Sol-gel-based, planar waveguide sensor for gaseous iodine

A novel sensor for gaseous iodine has been developed using a combination of sol-gel processing and planar integrated optical waveguiding technologies. The sensing principle is based on the detection of a charge transfer complex formed between iodine and phenyl groups that have been incorporated into a porous, methylated glass film. The glass film was prepared from siloxane precursors by the sol-gel method. Sensors were fabricated by coating the film over a single-mode planar waveguide. Light was coupled into and out of the laminate structure using integral grating couplers, and formation of the charge transfer complex was monitored as attenuated total reflection of the guided wave. The sensor exhibits a linear response to I(2) in the range of 100 ppb to 15 ppm with response and recovery times less than 15 s. The response is selective to 4 ppm iodine in the presence of 10 ppm chlorine and is stable for at least 3 months.     

Ag掺杂对ZnO纳米线气敏性能的影响

以采用物理热蒸发法制备的纯ZnO纳米线和Ag掺杂ZnO纳米线为气敏基料，制备成旁热式气敏元件，用静态配气法对浓度均为100ppm的无水乙醇蒸汽、氨气、甲烷及一氧化碳四种气体进行气敏性能测试，结果表明，Ag掺杂后，ZnO纳米线对四种气体灵敏度的最高值分别提高了230％，92％，158％，49％，缩短了响应时间和恢复时间。     

Post treatment of plasma-polymerized SnOx organic-like films with poly ethylene glycol for improving CO gas sensitivity

In this study, a new room temperature type gas sensor device based on plasma deposition of tetramethyltin (TMT) and O2 organically hybridized film followed by post treatment on the deposited film was developed for improving CO gas sensitivity and distinguishing from methane, butane, and carbon monoxide gases in the test environment. Plasma deposited SnOx thin film was first produced from TMT and O2 gas mixtures at room temperature, and then post treatments on the SnOx thin films were carried out by either spin coating with poly ethylene glycol (PEG) or surface grafting with p-styrenesulfonic acid sodium salt (Nass). It was found that the gas sensor spin coating post treated with PEG exhibits linear response to CO gas with the sensitivity not affected by methane and butane gases. For CO concentrations ranging from 30 to 650 ppm, steep change in the sensor resistance can be detected without warming up the sensor.     

Sensing properties of solid electrolyte SO2 sensor using metal-sulfide electrode

Solid-state electrochemical sensor devices combined with a sodium ion conductor (Na₅DySi₄O₁₂) disc and metal-sulfide sensing electrodes synthesized via solution routes have been investigated for the detection of SO₂ in the range 20–200 ppm at 150–400°C. Among the various sulfide sensing electrodes tested, the metal-mono sulfide-based electrodes (NiS, CdS, SnS and PbS) gave good SO₂ sensitivity at 300–400°C. The CdS-based solid electrolyte sensor element showed the best sensing characteristics, i.e., the EMF response was almost linear with the logarithm of SO₂ concentration in the range between 20 and 200 ppm, with a 90% response time to 100 ppm SO₂ of about 2–4 min at 400°C.     

Fabrication of a room temperature hydrogen sensor based on thin film of single-walled carbon nanotubes doped with palladium nanoparticles

A new sensor for the detection of hydrogen at parts per million (ppm) levels was fabricated by coating a thin film of palladium-doped activated single-walled carbon nanotube on the inner wall of a glass tube. The response of the sensor was based on the changes in the impedance of the sensor upon the adsorption of hydrogen molecules. The linear dynamic range of the sensor was from 1 to 50?ppm. The relative standard deviation of six replicate analyses of 5?ppm of H₂ was 2.1% and the limit of detection was 0.73?ppm for H₂ species. Humidity, methane and hydrogen sulphide did not have any serious effect on hydrogen recognition. Also, no interfering effect was observed when 20-fold excess (mass/mass) of carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide was present with hydrogen.     

CdS nanocrystal-based electrochemiluminescence biosensor for the detection of low-density lipoprotein by increasing sensitivity with gold nanoparticle amplification

Mercaptoacetic acid (RSH)-capped CdS nanocrystals (NCs) was demonstrated to be electrochemically reduced during potential scan and react with the coreactant S2O8(2-) to generate strong electrochemiluminescence (ECL) in aqueous solution. Based on the ECL of CdS NCs, a novel label-free ECL biosensor for the detection of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) has been developed by using self-assembly and gold nanoparticle amplification techniques. The biosensor was prepared as follows: The gold nanoparticles were first assembled onto a cysteamine monolayer on the gold electrode surface. This gold nanoparticle-covered electrode was next treated with cysteine and then reacted with CdS NCs to afford a CdS NC-electrode. Finally, apoB-100 (ligand of LDL receptor) was covalently conjugated to the CdS NC-electrode. The modification procedure was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy, respectively. The resulting modified electrode was tested as ECL biosensor for LDL detection. The LDL concentration was measured through the decrease in ECL intensity resulting from the specific binding of LDL to apoB-100. The ECL peak intensity of the biosensor decreased linearly with LDL concentration in the range of 0.025-16 ng mL-1 with a detection limit of 0.006 ng mL-1. The CdS NCs not only showed high ECL intensity and good biocompatibility but also could provide more binding sites for apoB-100 loading. In addition, the gold nanoparticle amplification for protein ECL analysis was applied to the improvement of the detection sensitivity. Thus, the biosensor exhibited high sensitivity, good reproducibility, rapid response, and long-term stability.     

Gas sensing properties of Langmuir-Blodgett polypyrrole film investigated by surface acoustic waves

The gas sensing properties of organic polypyrrole (PPS) film, deposited onto LiNbO(3) substrate by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique, have been monitored by surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay lines and studied with respect to sensitivity, selectivity, response time, stability, repeatability, and aging. The SAW PPy elements demonstrate high sensitivity toward NH(3) gas with high selectivity against CH(4), CO, H(2), and O(2). The detectable threshold concentration has been estimated as 20 ppm NH(3) in air; the response time is in the 10s range, and the recovery time is about 15 min; the repeatability of the SAW response toward eight sequential NH(3) gas exposures is within 6%; the aging of the PPy film is within 4% over a month; and the effect of humidity on SAW NH(3) gas response is negligible for the typical conditions at room ambient air. Partially reversible SAW response recognizing NH(3) gas as one component of an interfering gases-mixture has been observed. Simultaneous chemoresponses of SAW phase and insertion loss have been performed in order to investigate the sensing mechanisms. By merging with electrical conductivity gas response, the dominant SAW sensing effects for NH(3 ) gas detection are defined as elastic loading.     

Chemical sensors based on micromachined transducers with integrated piezoresistive readout

We demonstrate an approach for the development of chemical sensors utilizing silicon micromachined physical transducers with integrated piezoresistive readout. Originally, these transducers were developed and optimized as sensitive accelerometers for automotive applications. However, by applying a chemically responsive layer onto the transducer, we convert these transducers into chemical sensors. These transducers are attractive for chemical sensing applications for several key reasons. First, the required sensitivity of the chemical sensor can be achieved by choosing the right spring constant of the transducer. Second, the integrated piezoresistive readout of the transducer is already optimized and is very straightforward, providing a desired reproducibility in measurements, while not requiring bulky equipment. Third, chemically responsive film deposition is simple due to the ease of access to the transducer's surface. Fourth, such transducers are already available for another (automotive) application, making these sensors very cost-effective. The applicability of this approach is illustrated by the fabrication of highly sensitive CO2 sensors. To study hysteresis effects, we selected high CO2 concentrations (10-100% CO2) to provide the worst-case scenario for the sensor operation. These sensors demonstrate a hysteresis-free performance over the concentration range from 10 to 100% vol CO2, have detection limits of 160-370 ppm of CO2, and exhibit a relatively rapid response time, T(90) = 45 s. Importantly, we demonstrate a simple method for cancellation of vibration effects when these physical transducers, initially developed as accelerometers, are applied as chemical sensors.     

CMOS Monolithic Metal–Oxide Gas Sensor Microsystems

This paper presents two mixed-signal monolithic gas sensor microsystems fabricated in standard 0.8-$muhbox m$CMOS technology combined with post-CMOS micromachining to form the microhotplates. The on-chip microhotplates provide very high temperatures (between 200$^circ$C and 400$^circ$C), which are necessary for the normal operation of metal–oxide sensing layers. The first microsystem has a single-ended architecture comprising a microhotplate (diameter of 300$muhbox m$) and a digital proportional-integral-derivative (PID) microhotplate temperature controller. The second microsystem has a fully-differential architecture comprising an array of three microhotplates (diameter of 100$muhbox m$) and three digital PID microhotplate temperature controllers (one controller per microhotplate). The on-chip digital PID temperature controllers can accurately adjust the microhotplate temperatures up to 400$^circ$C with a resolution of 2$^circ$C. Further, both microsystems feature on-chip logarithmic converters for the readout of the metal–oxide resistors (which cover a measurement range between 1$hbox kOmega$and 10$hbox MOmega$), 10-bit A/D converters, anti-aliasing filters, 10-bit D/A converters,$I ^2 C$serial interfaces, and bulk-chip temperature sensors. Carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations in the sub-parts-per-million (ppm) range are detectable, and a resolution of 0.2 ppm CO has been achieved.     

Rapid, online quantification of H2S in JP-8 fuel reformate using near-infrared cavity-enhanced laser absorption spectroscopy

One of the key challenges in reforming military fuels for use with fuel cells is their high sulfur content, which can poison the fuel cell anodes. Sulfur-tolerant fuel reformers can convert this sulfur into H(2)S and then use a desulfurizing bed to remove it prior to the fuel cell. In order to optimize and verify this desulfurization process, a gas-phase sulfur analyzer is required to measure H(2)S at low concentrations (<1 ppm(v)) in the presence of other reforming gases (e.g., 25-30% H(2), 10-15% H(2)O, 15% CO, 5% CO(2), 35-40% N(2), and trace amounts of light hydrocarbons). In this work, we utilize near-infrared cavity-enhanced optical absorption spectroscopy (off-axis ICOS) to quantify H(2)S in a JP-8 fuel reformer product stream. The sensor provides rapid (2 s), highly precise (±0.1 ppm(v)) measurements of H(2)S in reformate gases over a wide dynamic range (0-1000 ppm(v)) with a low detection limit (3σ = ±0.09 ppm(v) in 1 s) and minimal cross-interferences from other present species. It simultaneously quantifies CO(2) (±0.2%), CH(4) (±150 ppm(v)), C(2)H(4) (±30 ppm(v)), and H(2)O (±300 ppm(v)) in the reformed gas for a better characterization of the fuel reforming process. Other potential applications of this technology include measurement of coal syngas and H(2)S in natural gas. By including additional near-infrared, distributive feedback diode lasers, the instrument can also be extended to other reformate species, including CO and H(2).     

Ultralow-Power Alcohol Vapor Sensors Using Chemically Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

Alcohol sensors, batch fabricated by forming bundles of chemically functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) across Au electrodes on SiO₂/Si substrates using an AC electrophoretic technique, were developed for alcohol vapor detection using an ultralow input power of ~ 0.01 - 1 muW, which is lower than the power required for most commercially available alcohol sensors by more than four orders of magnitude. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been chemically functionalized with the COOH groups by oxidation. We found that the sensors are selective with respect to flow from air, water vapor, and alcohol vapor. The sensor response is linear for alcohol vapor concentrations from 1 to 21 ppm with a detection limit of 0.9 ppm. The transient response of these sensors is experimentally shown to be ~1 s and the variation of the responses at each concentration is within 10% for all of the tested sensors. The sensors could also easily be reset to their initial states by annealing the f-CNTs sensing elements at a current of 100-200 muA within ~ 100-200 s. We demonstrated that the response of the sensors can be increased by one order of magnitude after adding the functional group COOH onto the nanotubes, i.e., from ~0.9% of a bare MWCNTs sensor to ~9.6% of an f-CNTs sensor with a dose of 21 ppm alcohol vapor.     

Dynamic Passivation in Perovskite Quantum Dots for Specific Ammonia Detection at Room Temperature

Perovskite structured CsPbX₃ (X = Cl, Br, or I) quantum dots (QDs) have attracted considerable interest in the past few years due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. Surface passivation is one of the main pathways to optimize the optoelectrical performance of perovskite QDs, in which the amino group plays an important role for the corresponding interaction between lead and halide. In this work, it is found that ammonia gas could dramatically increase photoluminescence of purified QDs and effectively passivate surface defects of perovskite QDs introduced during purification, which is a reversible process. This phenomenon makes perovskite QDs a kind of ideal candidate for detection of ammonia gas at room temperature. This QD film sensor displays specific recognition behavior toward ammonia gas due to its significant fluorescence enhancement, while depressed luminescence in case of other gases. The sensor, in turn‐on mode, shows a wide detection range from 25 to 350 ppm with a limit of detection as low as 8.85 ppm. Meanwhile, a fast response time of ≈10 s is achieved, and the recovery time is ≈30 s. The fully reversible, high sensitivity and selectivity characteristics make CsPbBr₃ QDs ideal active materials for room‐temperature ammonia sensing.     

MWCNT-polymer composites as highly sensitive and selective room temperature gas sensors

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-polymer composite-based hybrid sensors were fabricated and integrated into a resistive sensor design for gas sensing applications. Thin films of MWCNTs were grown onto Si/SiO(2) substrates via xylene pyrolysis using the chemical vapor deposition technique. Polymers like PEDOT:PSS and polyaniline (PANI) mixed with various solvents like DMSO, DMF, 2-propanol and ethylene glycol were used to synthesize the composite films. These sensors exhibited excellent response and selectivity at room temperature when exposed to low concentrations (100 ppm) of analyte gases like NH(3) and NO(2). The effect of various solvents on the sensor response imparting selectivity to CNT-polymer nanocomposites was investigated extensively. Sensitivities as high as 28% were observed for an MWCNT-PEDOT:PSS composite sensor when exposed to 100 ppm of NH(3) and - 29.8% sensitivity for an MWCNT-PANI composite sensor to 100 ppm of NO(2) when DMSO was used as a solvent. Additionally, the sensors exhibited good reversibility.