Nanotubes Promise Ultra-Small Wearable Oxygen Sensors

Summary posted by Meridian on 8/17/2009
Source: Royal Society of Chemistry
Author: Hayley Birch

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the National Energy Technology Laboratory, both in the United States, have created tiny oxygen-sensing devices made from carbon nanotubes. The devices could be used as low-power, wearable gas sensors that could benefit those working in confined spaces, such as mines, submarines, and space shuttles, where the monitoring of oxygen concentrations is essential for survival. The team endowed the nanotube networks with oxygen-sensing capabilities by "decorating" them with europium-containing complexes. According to Alexander Star, who worked on the project, "[A]lthough carbon nanotubes are not sensitive to many gases, they become sensitive once you decorate them or functionalise them with other moieties. This work is one example - when you add an oxygen sensitive moiety you make an oxygen sensor. So in a sense, carbon nanotubes can live up to their potential and become very great sensor platforms." He adds that these nanotube sensors could prove more practical than current sensors, and, because the amount of material needed to make each sensor is so small, cost would not be an issue. "They are probably small enough to operate from a watch battery, so I think the applications should be in wearable sensors. And because they detect oxygen at ambient conditions, they could be very appropriate for personal safety devices," Star said. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

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our team contact us site map	Nanotubes Promise Ultra-Small Wearable Oxygen Sensors Summary posted by Meridian on 8/17/2009 Source: Royal Society of Chemistry Author: Hayley Birch Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the National Energy Technology Laboratory, both in the United States, have created tiny oxygen-sensing devices made from carbon nanotubes. The devices could be used as low-power, wearable gas sensors that could benefit those working in confined spaces, such as mines, submarines, and space shuttles, where the monitoring of oxygen concentrations is essential for survival. The team endowed the nanotube networks with oxygen-sensing capabilities by "decorating" them with europium-containing complexes. According to Alexander Star, who worked on the project, "[A]lthough carbon nanotubes are not sensitive to many gases, they become sensitive once you decorate them or functionalise them with other moieties. This work is one example - when you add an oxygen sensitive moiety you make an oxygen sensor. So in a sense, carbon nanotubes can live up to their potential and become very great sensor platforms." He adds that these nanotube sensors could prove more practical than current sensors, and, because the amount of material needed to make each sensor is so small, cost would not be an issue. "They are probably small enough to operate from a watch battery, so I think the applications should be in wearable sensors. And because they detect oxygen at ambient conditions, they could be very appropriate for personal safety devices," Star said. The article can be viewed online at the link below. The original article may still be available at www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2009/August/16080901.asp As tagged by Meridian Institute: Health And Medical: Devices Implications: Human Enhancement, Military Applications, Economic Competitiveness Materials And Manufacturing: Electronics Nanomaterials: Carbon Nanoparticle Regions: North America Stakeholders: Academia Minerals And Metals: Minerals, Metals Related Forums: Health and Medical Materials and Manufacturing Metals and Minerals Economic Competitiveness print format	NDN Home Subscribe Manage Subscription Search News Archives Nanotechnology Quintuples Heating Capacity of Solar Water Heaters -- Renewable Energy Magazine (9/1/2010) Researchers at the University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, have developed a solar heating system that uses nanotechnology to heat water to five times the temperature of a conventional system, while also permitting the collector surface area to retain up to 98 percent of heat from solar radiation. [More] Pakistan's Science Minister Attacks Funding Cuts -- SciDev.Net (9/1/2010) The Pakistan government has cuts its funds for the Pakistan Ministry of Science and Technology's 2010-2011 budget by almost half, causing the science minister, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, to criticize his own government. [More] Nanotechnology: Small wonders -- Nature (9/1/2010) This article takes an in-depth look at the United States National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)'s first 10 years - to find out where the money went and what the initiative plans to do next. [More] Nanotech on Farmers' Fields -- Silicon Nutrition (8/31/2010) A plant nutrition study that addresses nano-sized plant nutrients is now available from the Landbouwkundige Uitgeverij G.C. van den Berg (Veenendaal, The Netherlands). [More] More News... Learn how to include these headlines on your own website by clicking here. Please email us if you require text-only versions of the daily emails.