Formaldehyde sensors based on nanofibrous polyethyleneimine/bacterial cellulose membranes coated quartz crystal microbalance

A novel formaldehyde sensor based on nanofibrous polyethyleneimine (PEI)/bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes coated quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) has been successfully fabricated. The nanoporous three-dimensional PEI/BC membranes are composed of nanofibers with diameter of 30-60 nm. The sensor showed high sensitivity with good linearity and exhibited a good reversibility and repeatability towards formaldehyde in the concentration range of 1-100 ppm at room temperature. Moreover, the results showed that the sensing properties were mainly affected by the content of PEI component in nanofibrous membranes, concentration of formaldehyde and relative humidity. Additionally, the nanofibrous PEI/BC membrane coated QCM sensors exhibited a good selectivity to formaldehyde when tested with competing vapors. The simple and feasible method to prepare and coat the PEI/BC sensing membranes on QCM makes it promising for mass production at a low cost.     

Properties of humidity sensing ZnO nanorods-base sensor fabricated by screen-printing

The humidity sensitive characteristics of a sensor fabricated from flower-like ZnO nanorods by screen-printing on a ceramic substrate with Ag–Pd interdigital electrodes have been investigated. The sensor shows high humidity sensitivity, rapid response and recovery, small hysteresis, and good stability. It is found that the impedance of the sensor decreases by about five orders of magnitude with increasing relative humidity (RH) from 11 to 95%. The response and recovery time of the sensor is about 5 and 10 s, respectively. These results indicate that the flower-like ZnO nanorods can be used in fabricating high-performance humidity sensors.     

Humidity sensing and electrical properties of a composite material of nano-sized SiO2 and poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate)

A composite material of nano-sized SiO₂ and poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate) (poly(AMPS)) was used to make a humidity sensor. The infrared (IR) spectra and microstructure of the material were analyzed, and the humidity sensing and electrical properties of the sensor were measured. The sensor well responded to humidity with a relative good linearity, though it depended on the applied frequency. The temperature influence between 15 and 35 °C was −0.71 and −0.15% RH/°C at 30 and 90% RH, respectively. The sensor showed a negligible hysteresis and fast response time upon humidification and desiccation. The stability of the sensor in a highly humid and alcoholic environment increased with increasing the SiO₂ content. The activation energy for conduction reduced with water adsorption. The different impedance plots observed at low and high relative humidity suggested different sensing mechanisms of the SiO₂/poly(AMPS) composite material.     

High-performance capacitive humidity sensor with novel electrode and polyimide layer based on MEMS technology

A high-performance capacitive humidity sensor based on a newly designed electrode and a polyimide (PI) layer is presented in this paper. The humidity sensor consists of a substrate with a cavity, a bottom electrode, a PI sensing layer, and a comb-shaped top electrode with branches. The cavity structure of the substrate was formed to protect the top electrode. In order to enhance the performance of the sensor, the coated PI layer was etched by using an O₂ plasma asher in accordance with the top electrode passivation. After the PI etching, the humidity sensor showed a high sensitivity of 506 fF/% RH and a fast response time of less than 6 s, which is attributed to the increased contact area between the PI layer and moisture, and shortened moisture absorption path into the PI layer. Further characterizations were carried out to measure the effect of temperature, hysteresis, and stability. The humidity sensor showed a hysteresis of 2.05% RH, little temperature dependence, and stable capacitance value with maximum 0.28% error rate for 24 h.     

苯乙烯-马来酸酐交替共聚物钠盐/聚苯乙烯磺酸钠复合物的湿敏特性

以苯乙烯-马来酸酐交替共聚物钠盐(NaSMA)与聚苯乙烯磺酸钠(NaPSS)复合物为湿敏材料,在叉指金电极上浸涂成膜制备了电阻型湿度传感器,考察了NaSMA和NaPSS浓度对复合湿度传感器响应特性的影响.研究表明,加入NaPSS可降低传感器在低湿下电阻,同时提高传感器的高湿灵敏度.在最佳条件下,当环境湿度从33%RH增...     

Fiber optic humidity sensors for high-energy physics applications at CERN

This work is devoted to a feasibility analysis for the development of novel fiber optic humidity sensors to be applied in high-energy physics (HEP) applications and in particular in experiments actually running at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). On this line of argument and due to the wide investigations carried out in the last years aimed to assess the radiation hardness capability of fiber optic technology in high energy physics environments, our multidisciplinary research group has been recently engaged in the development of near-field fiber optic sensors based on particle layers of tin dioxide to perform the monitoring of low values of relative humidity RH even at low temperatures.While this sensor type has been successfully employed for ppm and sub-ppm chemical detection in air and water environments, it is the first reported use for relative humidity measurements.The RH sensing performance of fabricated probes was analyzed during a deep experimental campaign carried out in the laboratories of CERN, in Genève. A very good agreement was observed between humidity measurements provided by the optical fiber sensors and commercial polymer-based hygrometers at 20 °C and 0 °C, with limits of detection for low RH regimes below 0.1%.     

Capacitive humidity sensors based on a newly designed interdigitated electrode structure

This paper presents a study of capacitive humidity sensors constructed based on a newly designed interdigitated electrode (IDE) structure with a polyimide (PI) sensing layer fabricated using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology. The humidity sensors use an IDE with increased height, formed by the surface micromachining of a silicon substrate. The fabricated sensors showed higher sensitivity in variable ambient relative humidity (RH) when compared with the humidity sensors of a conventional IDE since the horizontal electric field lines, generated between the thick electrodes, are confined to the PI sensing layer. The effect of the thickness of the PI layer was also investigated. The fabricated sensors with a 4-μm-thick PI layer showed a higher sensitivity of 37.1 fF/%RH when compared with those of a 2- and 3-μm-thick PI layers, indicating that the properties of the sensors depend on the thickness of the PI layer. This is because the amount of the fringing electric field lines passing through the PI is determined by the PI thickness. In addition, the sensor with the 4-μm-thick PI showed very slight hysteresis with a maximum of 2.87%RH and displayed high stability with a variation range of 0.06 pF.     

基于MWCNTs/Nafion复合膜的高性能声表面波湿敏传感器研究

湿度检测广泛应用于工业、医疗等各个领域,对高性能湿度传感器的需求日趋迫切。首先对声表面波传感器敏感机理进行了深入的分析,得到影响其性能的主要因素。在此基础上研制出一种以多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)和Nafion复合材料为湿敏膜,高频声表面波谐振器为换能元件的高性能湿敏传感器。实验表明,制得的湿敏传感器在宽湿度范围内(1...     

水热腐蚀铁钝化多孔硅的湿敏特性研究

采用水热腐蚀铁钝化法在单晶硅片上生长铁钝化多孔硅(IPS)薄膜,以IPS为感湿介质制成湿敏元件。在不同湿度环境以及测试频率下,测出其电容值,得到了IPS的湿敏特性曲线。研究发现,当相对湿度从11%RH逐渐增加到95%RH的过程中,在测试频率为100Hz时,IPS湿敏元件的电容值增大幅度达1500%,电容响应时间在升湿过程和脱湿过程分别为15s和5s,并且IPS湿敏元件的温度系数在15℃到35℃的范围内较小。结果表明:IPS湿敏元件的特性包括灵敏度、响应时间以及温度系数等均优于多孔硅(PS)湿敏元件的特性。     

ZrO2:TiO2复合纳米纤维湿度传感器的直、交流特性研究

利用ZrO2:TiO2复合纳米纤维制作了特性良好的电容型湿度传感器.该湿敏元件在100 Hz测量频率下灵敏度较高,线性度较好.其电容值在11％ ～98％相对湿度范围内从20 pF变化到1.5×105 pF.文中从直流特性(伏安特性、极性反转瞬时性)和交流特性(复阻抗)的角度分析了该湿敏元件的感湿机理.利用瞬时直流极性反...     

Humidity sensor based on LiCl-doped ZnO electrospun nanofibers

The humidity sensitive characteristics of sensors fabricated from pure ZnO nanofibers and LiCl-doped ZnO composite fibers by screen-printing on ceramic substrates with carbon interdigital electrodes have been investigated. The best result is obtained for 1.2 wt% LiCl-doped sample, which exhibits high humidity sensitivity, rapid response and recovery, small hysteresis, excellent linearity, and good reproducibility. The impedance of the sensor varies more than four orders of magnitude during the whole relative humidity (RH) from 11 to 95%. The response time and recovery time of the sensor is about 3 and 6 s, respectively. These results make our product a good candidate in fabricating high performance humidity sensors.     

用复阻抗法分析纳米钛酸钡湿敏元件感湿机理

用复阻抗方法对硅衬底纳米钛酸钡湿敏元件的感湿机理进行了分析。实验测量了湿敏元件在不同相对湿度下的复阻抗特性曲线及阻抗、电容等参数随频率的变化曲线。分析出相应的等效电路,推导了等效电路有关参数,分析讨论了纳米钛酸钡湿敏元件的感湿机理。低湿时,感湿材料本身颗粒电阻和电容及吸附的少量水分子共同起作用;高湿时,吸附的水分子电离和极化起主要作用。     

High relative humidity measurements using gelatin coated long-period grating sensors

A long-period grating (LPG) coated with gelatin was developed as a high relative humidity (RH) sensor. The resonance dip or coupling strength of the LPG spectrum varies with RH. Experimental investigations on the sensor yield a sensitivity of 0.833%RH/dB with an accuracy of ±0.25%RH, and a resolution of ±0.00833%RH. The LPG RH sensor also offers repeatability, hysteresis and stability errors of less than ±0.877, ±0.203 and ±0.04%RH, respectively. In addition to the characterization of the LPG RH sensor, further studies were conducted to determine the effect of grating periodicities on the sensitivity of the sensor. Results show that higher order cladding modes from smaller grating periods enable the sensor to achieve higher sensitivity to humidity. This method is proposed to be more cost effective as compared to more complex spectroscopic methods based on wavelength detection. This sensor can also help to solve problems in measuring high humidity with existing relative humidity measurement systems.     

DC humidity sensing properties of BaTiO3 nanofiber sensors with different electrode materials

Barium titanate (BaTiO₃) nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning and calcination techniques. Two direct current (DC) humidity sensors with different electrodes (Al and Ag) were fabricated by loading BaTiO₃ nanofibers as the sensing material. Compared with the Al electrode sensor, the Ag electrode sensor exhibits larger sensitivity and quicker response/recovery. The current of Al electrode sensor increases from 4.08 × 10⁻⁹ to 1.68 × 10⁻⁷ A when the sensor is switched from 11% to 95% relative humidity (RH), while the values are 2.19 × 10⁻⁹ and 3.29 × 10⁻⁷ A for the Ag electrode sensor, respectively. The corresponding response and recovery times are 30 and 9 s for Al electrode sensor, and 20 and 3 s for Ag electrode sensor, respectively. These results make BaTiO₃ nanofiber-based DC humidity sensors good candidates for practical application. Simultaneously, the comparison of sensors with different electrode materials may offer an effective route for designing and optimizing humidity sensors.     

Thin polymer film based rapid surface acoustic wave humidity sensors

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) thin films, deposited on the surface of glass slides, were studied using transmission FTIR spectroscopy upon varying relative humidity (RH) from 2 to 70%. The obtained data revealed fast dynamics of water vapor adsorption-desorption with responses on the order of several seconds. Based on the fast FTIR signal intensity changes versus RH, it was proposed that a similar rapid response can be achieved for PVA and PVP coated SAW devices due to changes in mass-loading and film viscoelastic properties upon absorption of water vapor in the films. Sub-micron thickness films were spin-coated onto the surface of LiNbO₃ SAW substrates. Both PVA and PVP based humidity sensors revealed prompt reversible response to variations in humidity, although PVP-based device demonstrated better sensor parameters with total insertion loss variation of about 50 dB over the studied RH range and response time 1.5 s for the humidity step 5-95% (recovery time - 2.5 s), representing one of the fastest SAW-based humidity sensors reported to date.     

Hybrid polymer/cobalt chloride humidity sensors based on optical diffraction

Relative humidity (RH) photonic sensors based on hybrid polymer/inorganic materials operating by means of optical diffraction are presented. The sensing film elements are fabricated by casting or spin coating the polymeric/inorganic solution on grating structures and planar glass substrates. The base polymers were synthesized by high vacuum anionic and free radical polymerization techniques and are incorporating cobalt chloride nano- or micro-crystals at various concentrations. The sensors exhibit fast response, reversible behaviour and long-term stability together with a good sensitivity and a relatively large dynamic range. Functional characteristics and, in particular, the operational range can be tuned by sensor material composition.     

基于LiCl湿敏涂层的QCM湿度传感特性的研究

对0.2%质量比LiCl薄膜涂层的QCM湿度传感单元湿敏特性进行了系统性的研究。研究结果表明:0.2%质量比LiCl—QCM的湿度传感单元的线性测量范围为13%～94%RH,克服了常规LiCl湿敏材料传感单元量程窄的缺点。另外,此湿度传感单元还具有重复性好、灵敏度高、湿滞小(小于10 Hz)、数字频率化输出等优点,因而,具有较好的潜在应用前景。     

Humidity sensing properties of mesoporous iron oxide/silica composite prepared via hydrothermal process

Mesoporous Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ composites with various Fe/Si molar ratios were synthesized via hydrothermal route and then studied as humidity sensor materials. The best result is obtained for the sample with a Fe/Si molar ratio of 0.5, which exhibits high humidity sensitivity, rapid response and recovery, small hysteresis and excellent linearity. The impedance of the sensor varies more than four orders of magnitude during the whole relative humidity (RH) from 11 to 95%. The response time and recovery time of the sensor is about 20 and 40 s, respectively. These results make our product a good candidate in fabricating high performance humidity sensors.     

基于多壁碳纳米管的结露型湿度传感器的研究

采用酸氧化法对多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)进行表面修饰,并研究了基于MWCNTs/羟乙基纤维素(HEC)复合体系的结露传感特性。通过红外光谱和热失重分析对MWCNTs进行了结构表征。氧化处理有效提高了MWCNTs的分散性。基于改性MWCNTs的结露元件与本征MWCNTs的器件相比表现出更好的开关特性。结露元件在相对湿度(RH)为75 %RH以前伴随湿度变化,电阻变化非常小,而在85 %RH以后呈现电阻的非线性增大。MWCNTs在复合膜中的最佳质量分数约为22 wt%,在100 %RH下灵敏度达到31。     

基于光纤布拉格光栅湿度传感器的研究

文章基于光纤布拉格光栅对温度、湿度等敏感的基础上,分析了以聚酰亚胺（PI）薄膜为湿敏涂层,当湿度变化时,由于涂层的膨胀,导致光纤布拉格光栅产生应变,从而对湿度传感。理论分析与实验证明,光纤布拉格光栅湿度传感器是一种性能良好的湿度传感器。