Polymer-carbon black composite sensors in an electronic nose for air-quality monitoring

MRS Bull. 2004 Oct;29(10):714-9. doi: 10.1557/mrs2004.208.

Abstract

An electronic nose that uses an array of 32 polymer-carbon black composite sensors has been developed, trained, and tested. By selecting a variety of chemical functionalities in the polymers used to make sensors, it is possible to construct an array capable of identifying and quantifying a broad range of target compounds, such as alcohols and aromatics, and distinguishing isomers and enantiomers (mirror-image isomers). A model of the interaction between target molecules and the polymer-carbon black composite sensors is under development to aid in selecting the array members and to enable identification of compounds with responses not stored in the analysis library.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Air Conditioning
  • Air Pollution, Indoor / analysis*
  • Biosensing Techniques
  • Carbon / analysis*
  • Electronics
  • Environmental Monitoring / instrumentation
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Equipment Design
  • Life Support Systems / instrumentation*
  • Maximum Allowable Concentration
  • Models, Chemical
  • Nose
  • Polymers / analysis
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Software
  • Space Flight / instrumentation*
  • Spacecraft / instrumentation

Substances

  • Polymers
  • Carbon