DNA-decorated carbon nanotubes for chemical sensing

We demonstrate a new, versatile class of nanoscale chemical sensors based on single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) as the chemical recognition site and single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors (swCN-FETs) as the electronic read-out component. swCN-FETs with a nanoscale coating of ss-DNA respond to gas odors that do not cause a detectable conductivity change in bare devices. Responses of ss-DNA/swCN-FETs differ in sign and magnitude for different gases and can be tuned by choosing the base sequence of the ss-DNA. ss-DNA/swCN-FET sensors detect a variety of odors, with rapid response and recovery times on the scale of seconds. The sensor surface is self-regenerating: samples maintain a constant response with no need for sensor refreshing through at least 50 gas exposure cycles. This remarkable set of attributes makes sensors based on ss-DNA decorated nanotubes very promising for "electronic nose" and "electronic tongue" applications ranging from homeland security to disease diagnosis.     

Chaotic chemical sensing

Examined the behavior of a chaotic circuit where one of the components has been replaced by a chemical sensor. The response of the sensor is manifested as a change in the attractor of the circuit. Furthermore, with a proper operating point, a small response of the sensor causes a change in the attractor of the circuit within a time much shorter than the normally defined response time of the sensor. This technique unites sensors and data processing as one combined unit in a unique fashion.     

Mid-infrared vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers for chemical sensing

The first (to our knowledge) III-V mid-IR vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (lambda = 2.9 mum) are demonstrated and show promising characteristics for chemical detection applications. The cw optical-pumping threshold is low (4 mW at 80 K) and efficiency is high (5.6% W/W). Pulsed operation is obtained up to 280 K and cw up to 160 K. Lateral-mode confinement will lead to spectrally pure, single-mode output for chemical identification.     

Organic thin-film transistors for chemical and biological sensing

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) show promising applications in various chemical and biological sensors. The advantages of OTFT-based sensors include high sensitivity, low cost, easy fabrication, flexibility and biocompatibility. In this paper, we review the chemical sensors and biosensors based on two types of OTFTs, including organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), mainly focusing on the papers published in the past 10 years. Various types of OTFT-based sensors, including pH, ion, glucose, DNA, enzyme, antibody-antigen, cell-based sensors, dopamine sensor, etc., are classified and described in the paper in sequence. The sensing mechanisms and the detection limits of the devices are described in details. It is expected that OTFTs may have more important applications in chemical and biological sensing with the development of organic electronics.     

Impedance spectroscopy on xerogel layer for chemical sensing

This paper deals with a new approach for toluene detection in water based on conductivity measurement on a xerogel layer deposited on Si/SiO₂ electrode. The conductivity changes is evaluated by means of resistance and phase variation of absolute impedance of the TEOS xerogel layer in contact with small amounts of toluene in water. The electrical properties of such xerogel layer can be measured with impedance spectroscopy technique and modelised with electrical model. The molecule structure of such layer has been obtained with Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. For toluene detection, impedance spectroscopy shows a decrease of the membrane resistance over time and an increase of the phase. This decrease can be attributed to the conductivity and dielectric constant variation. A detection limit of 100 ppm and a dynamic range 100 ppm–0.7% are obtained in our experimental conditions.     

Supramolecular strategies in chemical sensing

Supramolecular chemistry can be utilized for chemical sensor technology with compounds like cyclodextrins, paracyclophanes and calixarenes that are capable to form host–guest complexes. Optimizations of the structures by changing the diameter and the height of the cavity or converting the polarity into hydrophobic ones allow to tune the sensitivity of these materials towards different analytes. Further improvements of sensor coating were available with the development of molecular imprinting techniques that generate rigid and sensitive layers directly on the transducer of interest. This enables the detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the liquid phase down to a concentration of 30 ng/l.     

Colloidal gold-modified optical fiber for chemical and biochemical sensing

A novel class of fiber-optic evanescent-wave sensor was constructed on the basis of modification of the unclad portion of an optical fiber with self-assembled gold colloids. The optical properties and, hence, the attenuated total reflection spectrum of self-assembled gold colloids on the optical fiber changes with different refractive index of the environment near the colloidal gold surface. With sucrose solutions of increasing refractive index, the sensor response decreases linearly. The colloidal gold surface was also functionalized with glycine, succinic acid, or biotin to enhance the selectivity of the sensor. Results show that the sensor response decreases linearly with increasing concentration of each analyte. When the colloidal gold surface was functionalized with biotin, the detection limit of the sensor for streptavidin was 9.8 x 10(-11) M. Using this approach, we demonstrate proof-of-concept of a class of refractive index sensor that is sensitive to the refractive index of the environment near the colloidal gold surface and, hence, is suitable for label-free detection of molecular or biomolecular binding at the surface of gold colloids.     

Flexible organic electrochemical transistors for chemical and biological sensing

Chemical and biological sensing play important roles in healthcare,environmental science,food-safety tests,and medical applications.Flexible organic electrochem...     

Optimized network of multi-walled carbon nanotubes for chemical sensing

This work reports the design of a resistive gas sensor based on 2D mats of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) grown by aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition. The sensor sensitivity was optimized using chlorine as analyte by tuning both CNT network morphology and CNT electronic properties. Optimized devices, operating at room temperature, have been calibrated over a large range of concentration and are shown to be sensitive down to 27 ppb of chlorine. The as-grown MWCNT response is compared with responses of 2000?°C annealed CNTs, as well as of nitrogen-doped CNTs and CNTs functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI). Under chlorine exposure, the resistance decrease of as-grown and annealed CNTs is attributed to charge transfer from chlorine to CNTs and demonstrates their p-type semiconductor behaviour. XPS analysis of CNTs exposed to chlorine shows the presence of chloride species that confirms electron charge transfer from chlorine to CNTs. By contrast, the resistance of nitrogen-doped and PEI functionalized CNTs exposed to chlorine increases, in agreement with their n-type semiconductor nature. The best response is obtained using annealed CNTs and is attributed to their higher degree of crystallinity.     

Inkjet-printed microfluidic multianalyte chemical sensing paper

This paper presents an inkjet printing method for the fabrication of entire microfluidic multianalyte chemical sensing devices made from paper suitable for quantitative analysis, requiring only a single printing apparatus. An inkjet printing device is used for the fabrication of three-dimensional hydrophilic microfluidic patterns (550-mum-wide flow channels) and sensing areas (1.5 mm x 1.5 mm squares) on filter paper, by inkjet etching, and thereby locally dissolving a hydrophobic poly(styrene) layer obtained by soaking of the filter paper in a 1 wt % solution of poly(styrene) in toluene. In a second step, the same inkjet printing device is used to print "chemical sensing inks", comprising the necessary reagents for colorimetric analytical assays, into well-defined areas of the patterned microfluidic paper devices. The arrangement of the patterns, printed inks, and sensing areas was optimized to obtain homogeneous color responses. The results are "all-inkjet-printed" chemical sensing devices for the simultaneous determination of pH, total protein, and glucose in clinically relevant concentration ranges for urine analysis (0.46-46 muM for human serum albumin, 2.8-28.0 mM for glucose, and pH 5-9). Quantitative data are obtained by digital color analysis in the L*a*b* color space by means of a color scanner and a simple computer program.     

Functionalized mesoporous silica for microgravimetric sensing of trace chemical vapors

Featuring a huge surface-to-volume ratio, synthesized SBA-15 mesoporous silica is functionalized by inner-channel-wall modification of sensing groups for highly specific chemical-vapor detection at trace level. With the developed sensing material loaded on resonant microcantilevers, the specifically adsorbed chemical-vapor molecules act as an added mass to shift the cantilever resonant frequency for gravimetric sensing signal readout. Two kinds of sensing materials for trinitrotoluene (TNT) and ammonia/amine are respectively prepared by inner-wall layer-by-layer grafting functionalization. By using hexafluoro-2-propanol-functionalized mesoporous silica (HFMS), experimental results show highly specific and rapid detection of TNT vapor, with a ppt-level detection limit; functionalized with a carboxyl (COOH) group, the mesoporous silica is loaded onto the cantilever resonating sensor that experimentally exhibits an ultrafine detection limit of tens of ppb to ammonia/amine gases.     

DC magnetron sputtered polyaniline-HCl thin films for chemical sensing applications

Thin films of conducting polymers exhibit unique chemical and physical properties that render them integral parts in microelectronics, energy storage devices, and chemical sensors. Overall, polyaniline (PAni) doped in acidic media has shown metal-like electronic conductivity, though exact physical and chemical properties are dependent on the polymer structure and dopant type. Difficulties arising from poor processability render production of doped PAni thin films particularly challenging. In this contribution, DC magnetron sputtering, a physical vapor deposition technique, is applied to the preparation of conductive thin films of PAni doped with hydrochloric acid (PAni-HCl) in an effort to circumvent issues associated with conventional thin film preparation methods. Samples manufactured by the sputtering method are analyzed along with samples prepared by conventional drop-casting. Physical characterization (atomic force microscopy, AFM) confirm the presence of PAni-HCl and show that films exhibit a reduced roughness and potentially pinhole-free coverage of the substrate. Spectroscopic evidence (UV-vis, FT-IR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)) suggests that structural changes and loss of conductivity, not uncommon during PAni processing, does occur during the preparation process. Finally, the applicability of sputtered films to gas-phase sensing of NH(3) was investigated with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy and compared to previous contributions. In summary, sputtered PAni-HCl films exhibit quantifiable, reversible behavior upon exposure to NH(3) with a calculated LOD (by method) approaching 0.4 ppm NH(3) in dry air.     

Multidimensional conducting polymer nanotubes for ultrasensitive chemical nerve agent sensing

Tailoring the morphology of materials in the nanometer regime is vital to realizing enhanced device performance. Here, we demonstrate flexible nerve agent sensors, based on hydroxylated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanotubes (HPNTs) with surface substructures such as nanonodules (NNs) and nanorods (NRs). The surface substructures can be grown on a nanofiber surface by controlling critical synthetic conditions during vapor deposition polymerization (VDP) on the polymer nanotemplate, leading to the formation of multidimensional conducting polymer nanostructures. Hydroxyl groups are found to interact with the nerve agents. Representatively, the sensing response of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) as a simulant for sarin is highly sensitive and reversible from the aligned nanotubes. The minimum detection limit is as low as 10 ppt. Additionally, the sensor had excellent mechanical bendability and durability.     

Optimized differential absorption radiometer for remote sensing of chemical effluents

A differential absorption radiometer sensor that was optimized for near-perfect (to approximately 2%) correction of the absorption by ambient atmospheric species (e.g., water) is described. A target gas is detected remotely by its IR signature viewed through a bandpass filter centered at one of its strongest lines. A second radiometric measurement obtained through a bandpass filter centered at a frequency optimized to match the absorption by an atmospheric trace species (e.g., water vapor) at the sample filter frequency provides near-perfect correction for dominant background absorption effects. The net absorption (emission) by the target gas was obtained through subtraction of the reference signal of the second measurement from that of the target gas measurement. For multiple species detection, additional sample and reference filter pairs can be configured. Predictions show that detection of strong absorbers such as dimethyl methylphosphonate at an optical density below 100 mg/m2 is possible from distances of < 6 km.     

Fiber-optic chemical sensing with langmuir-blodgett overlay waveguides

Fiber-optic chemical sensing has been demonstrated with a side-polished single-mode optical fiber, evanescently coupled to chemically sensitive Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) overlay waveguides. The sensors exhibit a channel-dropping response centered on a wavelength that is dependent on the thickness and the refractive index of the overlay waveguide. It has been shown that pH-sensitive organic dyes proved to be suitable materials for the formation of an overlay waveguide whereas LB deposition provides the required thickness control. A theoretical model of the sensor response, based on the Kramers-Kronig relations and phase matching of the guided modes within the optical fiber and overlay waveguide, shows good agreement with experimental results.     

Flexible single walled nanotube based chemical sensor for 2,4-dinitrotoluene sensing

In this work, we have attempted to fabricate flexible single walled carbon nanotube based sensor for detection of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) an explosive chemical. For analyte sensing study, the flexible sensor is fabricated by vacuum filtration method. These fabricated gas sensors are characterised by SEM and Raman spectroscopy. The sensor response is investigated toward the explosive chemicals which have NO₂ group in their molecular structure. The fabricated sensor is able to detect the traces of DNT at room temperature. The sensor gives 0.28–0.32% repeatable response to 0.22 ppm of DNT. The response of sensor increases with increase in the vapour concentration of the DNT vapours.     

A strategy for chemical sensing based on frequency tunable acoustic devices

A new acoustic sensor geometry, the magnetic acoustic resonant sensor (MARS), is described. The device comprises a circular 0.5-mm-thick resonant plate fabricated from a wide variety of nonpiezoelectric materials and coated on the underside with a 2.5-microm-thick aluminum film. Harmonic radial shear waves over at least a 2 orders of magnitude frequency range can be induced in the resonant plate by enhanced magnetic direct generation using a noncontacting rf coil and NdFeB magnet. Mass loading with adherent aluminum films produced frequency changes of 106 Hz/nm (40.8 Hz/ng-mm(-2)), while contact with viscous fluids resulted in maximum changes of 15 446 Hz/cP. At an operating frequency of 50 MHz, the device detected viscosity changes as low as 0.0006 cP. The adsorption of proteins such as human IgG and the binding of a complementary antigen, goat anti-human IgG, on the upper nonmetallized surface of the device has been monitored with a detection limit of approximately 75 ng/mL. The binding of substrates and allosteric effectors to glycogen phosphorylase b has provided evidence that the device is very sensitive to viscoelastic changes in adsorbed proteins. The MARS device generates radial shear acoustic waves over a broad bandwidth that are unaffected by the conductivity of the solution. These results suggest that simple metal, glass, crystalline, or polycrystalline plates can be used as a new type of tunable acoustic immunosensor.     

Analog signal acquisition from computer optical disk drives for quantitative chemical sensing

Optoelectronic consumer products that are widely employed in the office and home attract attention for optical sensor applications due to (1) their cost advantage over analytical instruments produced only in small quantities, (2) robustness in operation due to the detailed manufacturability improvements, and (3) ease of operation. We demonstrate here a new approach for quantitative chemical/biochemical sensing when analog signals are acquired from conventional optical disk drives, and these signals are used for quantitative detection of optical changes of sensor films deposited on conventional CD and DVD optical disks. Because we do not alter manufacturing process of optical disks, any disk can be employed for deposition and readout of sensor films. The optical disk drives also perform their original function of reading and writing digital content to optical media because no optical modifications are introduced to obtain the analog signal. Such a sensor platform is quite universal and can be applied for chemical and biological quantitative detection, as well as for monitoring of changes of physical properties of regions deposited onto a CD or DVD (e.g., during combinatorial screening of materials). As a model example, we demonstrate the concept using chemical detection of ionic species such as Ca2+ in liquids (e.g., blood, urine, or water). Colorimetric calcium-sensitive sensor films were deposited onto a DVD, exposed to water with different concentrations of Ca2+, and quantified in the optical disk drive. The developed lab-on-DVD system demonstrated a 5 ppm detection limit of Ca2+ determinations, similar or slightly better than that achieved using a conventional fiber-optic portable spectrometer. This detection limit corresponded to a 0.023 absorbance unit resolution, as determined by the measurement of the same colorimetric films with a portable spectrometer. Determinations of Ca2+ unknowns using the lab-on-DVD system demonstrated +/-5 ppm accuracy and 2-5% relative standard deviation precision in predicting 100 ppm Ca2+.     

AlGaN/GaN-based diodes and gateless HEMTs for gas and chemical sensing

The characteristics of Pt/GaN Schottky diodes and Sc/sub 2/O/sub 3//AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) diodes as hydrogen and ethylene gas sensors and of gateless AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) as polar liquid sensors are reported. At 25/spl deg/C, a change in forward current of /spl sim/6 mA at a bias of 2 V was obtained in the MOS diodes in response to a change in ambient from pure N/sub 2/ to 10% H/sub 2// 90% N/sub 2/. This is approximately double the change in forward current obtained in Pt/GaN Schottky diodes measured under the same conditions. The mechanism appears to be formation of a dipole layer at the oxide/GaN interface that screens some of the piezo-induced channel charge. The MOS-diode response time is limited by the mass transport of gas into the test chamber and not by the diffusion of atomic hydrogen through the metal/oxide stack, even at 25/spl deg/C. Gateless AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures exhibit large changes in source-drain current upon exposing the gate region to various polar liquids, including block co-polymer solutions. The polar nature of some of these polymer chains lead to a change of surface charges in gate region on the HEMT, producing a change in surface potential at the semiconductor/liquid interface. The nitride sensors appear to be promising for a wide range of chemicals, combustion gases and liquids.