Ceria Nanomonitors for Trace Oxygen Monitoring in Portable Energy Systems
EMSL Project ID
25414a
Abstract
The overarching research objective is development of a portable electrical sensor for rapid detection of trace gases with enhanced sensitivity and specificity. This pilot project seeks to use EMSL facilities to develop ceria (cerium oxide) nanoparticle-based sensors for the rapid and selective detection and monitoring of trace oxygen using the chemiresistive principle. The goal of this proposed project is to achieve dramatic improvements in chemiresistive sensor performance metrics (sensitivity, selectivity, stability, as well as the response and recovery time) for trace oxygen detection and monitoring, through innovative functionalization and packaging of ceria- metal oxide nanoparticle in organic binder composites as sensors. The targeted performance parameters are: enhancing sensitivity from parts-per-million (ppm) levels to parts-per-billion (ppb), with response time < 30 sec, recovery time <5 minutes and temperature stability up to 700° C .We have identified these conditions based on the requirements of sensors in portable energy systems as indicated by the U.S Army for an ongoing project with the P.I.The principle of operation of these devices, that known as chemiresistive sensors, is through resistance changes associated with the adsorption of gaseous agents onto the nanomaterial matrix comprising of ceria nanoparticles encapsulated in an organic binder. The adsorption of the reactive oxygen gas molecule is expected to change the resistance of the nanomaterials matrix. The key innovation of this technology is the enhanced sensitivity due to improved signal to noise ratio due to the cumulative summation of the measured resistance changes associated with individual nanpoparticles. Desorption will be achieved by selective thermal agitation.
We envision that the successful completion of the pilot project will enable us to (a) publish the finding s in relevant nanotechnology journals and (b) aim at federal research funding under the energy initiatives. This proposal meets the requirements of the "Science of Interfacial Phenomena"section as it focuses on understanding and controlling nanoscale materials interfaces and optimizes them to develop energy related sensor systems.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2007-06-01
End Date
2010-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Gupta S, SVNT Kuchibhatla, MH Engelhard, V Shutthanandan, P Nachimuthu, W Jiang, LV Saraf, S Thevuthasan, and S Prasad. 2009. "Influence of samaria doping on the resistance of ceria thin films and its implications to the planar oxygen sensing devices." Sensors and Actuators. B, Chemical 139(2):380-386. doi:10.1016/j.snb.2009.03.021
Nandasiri MI, RP Sanghavi, SVNT Kuchibhatla, and S Thevuthasan. 2012. "Nanoscale Thin Film Electrolytes for Clean Energy Applications." Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Letters 4(2):124-131. doi:10.1166/nnl.2012.1298
Sanghavi RP, MI Nandasiri, S Kuchibhatla, P Nachimuthu, MH Engelhard, V Shutthanandan, W Sanghavi RP, MI Nandasiri, S Kuchibhatla, P Nachimuthu, MH Engelhard, V Shutthanandan, W Jiang, S Thevuthasan, AN Kayani, and S Prasad. 2010. "Performance Evaluation of an Oxygen Sensor as a Function of the Samaria Doped Ceria Film Thickness." In Business and Safety Issues in the Commercialization of Nanotechnology: Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, vol. 1209, ed. SS Mao, et al , pp. Paper No. 1209-P03-07. Materials Research Soceity, Warrendale, PA. doi:10.1557/PROC-1209-P03-07
Sanghavi RP, R Devanathan, MI Nandasiri, SVNT Kuchibhatla, L Kovarik, S Thevuthasan, and S Prasad. 2011. "Integrated experimental and modeling study of the ionic conductivity of samaria-doped ceria thin films." Solid State Ionics 204-205:13-19. doi:10.1016/j.ssi.2011.10.007