Nanotubes can measure oxygen in gas mixtures

(CONNECT) Chemists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) have created a tiny high-performance sensor for detecting oxygen from a composite material of carbon nanotubes and titanium dioxide, according to a press release. The nanotubes were designed on the basis of graphene. Graphene consists of carbon atoms that are connected two-dimensionally in a flat hexagonal lattice and consist of only one atomic layer. Graphene nanotubes were chosen because they form an energy-saving platform that allows sensor activity even at room temperature.

The researchers use a dye as the third component of the sensor. This so-called photosensitizer captures green light and converts it into an electrical charge. Impinging oxygen impedes this charging process and thus triggers sensor activity. The innovative mini-sensor is designed to precisely detect oxygen in complex gas mixtures. The researchers have already applied for a patent for the detector and prepared it for use in the field. The study was recently published in the journal "Advanced Science".

The team led by chemist Máté Bezdek, who is Professor of Functional Coordination Chemistry at ETH, is currently looking for industrial partners to expand and further develop the technology. According to the press release, durable and reliable sensors that specifically measure oxygen in gas mixtures are estimated to have an annual market volume of around 1.4 billion dollars. The aim of the group is to extend the use of sensors on this basis to other environmental gases. ce/eb