All-Optical Hydrogen-Sensing Materials Based on Tailored Palladium Alloy Thin Films

Wireless and Linear Hydrogen Detection up to 4% with High Sensitivity through Phase-Transition-Inhibited Pd Nanowires

Palladium (Pd) has been drawing increasing attention as a hydrogen (H₂) detecting material due to its highly selective sensitivity to H₂. However, at H₂ concentrations above 2%, Pd undergoes an inevitable phase transition, causing undesirable electrical and mechanical alterations. In particular, nonlinear gas response (ΔR/R₀) that accompanies phase transition has been a great bottleneck for detecting H₂ in high concentrations, which is especially important as there is a risk of explosion over 4% H₂. Here, we propose a phase-transition-inhibited Pd nanowire H₂ sensor that can detect up to 4% H₂ with high linearity and high sensitivity. Based on the calculation of the change in free energy, we designed Pd nanowires that are highly adhered to the substrate to withstand the stress that leads to phase transition. We theoretically optimized the Pd nanowire dimensions using a finite element method simulation and then experimentally fabricated the proposed sensor by exploiting a developed nanofabrication method. The proposed sensor exhibits a high sensing linearity (98.9%) with high and stable sensitivity (ΔR/R₀/[H₂] = 875%·bar^-1) over a full range of H₂ concentrations (0.1-4%). Using the fabricated Pd sensors, we have successfully demonstrated a wireless sensor module that can detect H₂ with high linearity, notifying real-time H₂ leakage through remote communication. Overall, our work suggests a nanostructuring strategy for detecting H₂ with a phase-transition-inhibited pure Pd H₂ sensor with rigorous scientific exploration.

Palladium-coated narrow groove plasmonic nanogratings for highly sensitive hydrogen sensing

In this paper, we propose novel plasmonic hydrogen sensors based on palladium coated narrow-groove plasmonic nanogratings for sensing of hydrogen gas at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. These narrow-groove plasmonic nanogratings allow the incident light to be coupled directly into plasmonic waveguide modes thereby alleviating the need for bulky coupling methods to be employed. We carried out numerical simulations of the palladium coated narrow-groove plasmonic nanogratings using rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA). When palladium is exposed to varying concentrations of hydrogen gas, palladium undergoes phase transition to palladium hydride (PdH_x), such that there are different atomic ratios ‘x’ (H/Pd) of hydrogen present in the palladium hydride (PdH_x) depending on the concentration of the hydrogen gas. RCWA simulations were performed to obtain the reflectance spectral response of the Pd coated nanogratings in both the absence and presence of hydrogen, for various atomic ratios ‘x’ (x ∼ 0.125 to 0.65) in palladium hydride (PdH_x). The results of the RCWA simulations showed that as the dielectric permittivity of the palladium (Pd) thin film layers in between the adjacent walls of the plasmonic nanogratings changes upon exposure to hydrogen, significant shifts in the plasmon resonance wavelength (maximum Δλ being ∼80 nm for an increase in the value of the atomic ratio ‘x’ from 0 to 0.65) as well as changes in the differential reflection spectra are observed. The structural parameters of these Pd coated narrow groove nanogratings—such as the nanograting height, gap between the nanograting walls, thickness of the palladium layer, periodicity of the nanogratings—were varied to maximize the shift in the plasmon resonance wavelength as well as the differential reflectance when these nanostructures are exposed to different concentrations of hydrogen (i.e. for different atomic ratios ‘x’ in PdH_x).

In this paper, we propose novel plasmonic hydrogen sensors based on palladium coated narrow-groove plasmonic nanogratings for sensing of hydrogen gas at visible and near-infrared wavelengths.

A fiber-optic nanoplasmonic hydrogen sensor via pattern-transfer of nanofabricated PdAu alloy nanostructures

We demonstrate the transfer of arrays of nanofabricated noble metal and alloy nanostructures obtained by high-temperature annealing on a flat parent support onto optical fibers, to create a hysteresis-free fiber optic nanoplasmonic hydrogen sensor. This work enables the integration of complex nanofabricated structures and their arrangements in tailored arrays with fiber optics to realize optical sensors, which will find application in a wide range of disciplines.

Centrifugal Deposited Au-Pd Core-Shell Nanoparticle Film for Room-Temperature Optical Detection of Hydrogen Gas

In the present work, centrifugal deposited Au-Pd core-shell nanoparticle (NP) film was proposed for the room-temperature optical detection of hydrogen gas. The size dimension of 44, 48, 54, and 62 nm Au-Pd core-shell nanocubes with 40 nm Au core were synthesized following a solution-based seed-mediated growth method. Compared to a pure Pd NP, this core-shell structure with an inert Au core could decrease the H diffusion length in the Pd shell. Through a modified centrifugal deposition process, continues film samples with different core-shell NPs were deposited on 10 mm diameter quartz substrates. Under various hydrogen concentration conditions, the optical response properties of these samples were characterized by an intensity-based optical fiber bundle sensor. Experimental results show that the continues film that was composed of 62 nm Au-Pd core-shell NPs has achieved a stable and repeatable reflectance response with low zero drift in the range of 4 to 0.1% hydrogen after a stress relaxation mechanism at first few loading/unloading cycles. Because of the short H diffusion length due to the thinner Pd shell, the film sample composed of 44 nm Au-Pd NPs has achieved a dramatically decreased response/recovery time to 4 s/30 s. The experiments present the promising prospect of this simple method to fabricate optical hydrogen sensors with controllable high sensitivity and response rate at low cost.

Chiral Plasmonic Hydrogen Sensors

In this article, a chiral plasmonic hydrogen-sensing platform using palladium-based nanohelices is demonstrated. Such 3D chiral nanostructures fabricated by nanoglancing angle deposition exhibit strong circular dichroism both experimentally and theoretically. The chiroptical properties of the palladium nanohelices are altered upon hydrogen uptake and sensitively depend on the hydrogen concentration. Such properties are well suited for remote and spark-free hydrogen sensing in the flammable range. Hysteresis is reduced, when an increasing amount of gold is utilized in the palladium-gold hybrid helices. As a result, the linearity of the circular dichroism in response to hydrogen is significantly improved. The chiral plasmonic sensor scheme is of potential interest for hydrogen-sensing applications, where good linearity and high sensitivity are required.

Integrating plasmonic nanostructures with natural photonic architectures in Pd-modified Morpho butterfly wings for sensitive hydrogen gas sensing

This work reports a bioinspired three-dimensional (3D) heterogeneous structure for optical hydrogen gas (H₂) sensing. The structure was fabricated by selective modification of the photonic architectures of Morpho butterfly wing scales with Pd nanostrips. The coupling of the plasmonic mode of the Pd nanostrips with the optical resonant mode of the Morpho biophotonic architectures generated a sharp reflectance peak in the spectra of the Pd-modified butterfly wing, as well as enhancement of light–matter interaction in Pd nanostrips. Exposure to H₂ resulted in a rapid reversible increase in the reflectance of the Pd-modified butterfly wing, and the pronounced response of the reflectance was at the wavelength where the plasmonic mode strongly interplayed with the optical resonant mode. Owing to the synergetic effect of Pd nanostrips and biophotonic structures, the bioinspired sensor achieved an H₂ detection limit of less than 10 ppm. Besides, the Pd-modified butterfly wing also exhibited good sensing repeatability. The results suggest that this approach provides a promising optical H₂ sensing scheme, which may also offer the potential design of new nanoengineered structures for diverse sensing applications.

Three-dimensional heterogeneous nanostructures that integrate plasmonic nanostructures of Pd with photonic architecture of Morpho butterfly wings can achieve sensitive hydrogen gas detection.

Realization of palladium-based optomechanical cantilever hydrogen sensor

Hydrogen has attracted attention as an alternative fuel source and as an energy storage medium. However, the flammability of hydrogen at low concentrations makes it a safety concern. Thus, gas concentration measurements are a vital safety issue. Here we present the experimental realization of a palladium thin film cantilever optomechanical hydrogen gas sensor. We measured the instantaneous shape of the cantilever to nanometer-level accuracy using diffraction phase microscopy. Thus, we were able to quantify changes in the curvature of the cantilever as a function of hydrogen concentration and observed that the sensor's minimum detection limit was well below the 250 p.p.m. limit of our test equipment. Using the change in curvature versus the hydrogen curve for calibration, we accurately determined the hydrogen concentrations for a random sequence of exposures. In addition, we calculated the change in film stress as a function of hydrogen concentration and observed a greater sensitivity at lower concentrations.

Modeling of hydrogen atom diffusion and response behavior of hydrogen sensors in Pd-Y alloy nanofilm

To detect hydrogen gas leakage rapidly, many types of hydrogen sensors containing palladium alloy film have been proposed and fabricated to date. However, the mechanisms and factors that determine the response rate of such hydrogen sensor have not been established theoretically. The manners in which response time is forecasted and sensitive film is designed are key issues in developing hydrogen sensors with nanometer film. In this paper, a unilateral diffusion model of hydrogen atoms in Pd alloy based on Fick’s second law is proposed to describe the Pd–H reaction process. Model simulation shows that the hydrogen sensor response time with Pd alloy film is dominated by two factors (film thickness and hydrogen diffusion coefficient). Finally, a series of response rate experiments with varying thicknesses of Pd–Y (yttrium) alloy film are implemented to verify model validity. Our proposed model can help researchers in the precise optimization of film thickness to realize a simultaneously speedy and sensitive hydrogen sensor. This study also aids in evaluating the influence of manufacturing errors on performances and comparing the performances of sensors with different thicknesses.

Palladium Nanoribbon Array for Fast Hydrogen Gas Sensing with Ultrahigh Sensitivity

A lithographically aligned palladium nano-ribbon (Pd-NRB) array with gaps of less than 40 nm is fabricated on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrate using the direct metal transfer method. The 200 μm Pd-NRB hydrogen gas sensor exhibits an unprecedented sensitivity of 10(9) % after bending treatment, along with fast sensing behavior (80% response time of 3.6 s and 80% recovery time of 8.7 s) at room temperature.

Hysteresis-free nanoplasmonic Pd-Au alloy hydrogen sensors

The recent market introduction of hydrogen fuel cell cars and the prospect of a hydrogen economy have drastically accelerated the need for safe and accurate detection of hydrogen. In this Letter, we investigate the use of arrays of nanofabricated Pd-Au alloy nanoparticles as plasmonic optical hydrogen sensors. By increasing the amount of Au in the alloy nanoparticles up to 25 atom %, we are able to suppress the hysteresis between hydrogen absorption and desorption, thereby increasing the sensor accuracy to below 5% throughout the investigated 1 mbar to 1 bar hydrogen pressure range. Furthermore, we observe an 8-fold absolute sensitivity enhancement at low hydrogen pressures compared to sensors made of pure Pd, and an improved sensor response time to below one second within the 0-40 mbar pressure range, that is, below the flammability limit, by engineering the nanoparticle size.

Hybrid photon-plasmon Mach-Zehnder interferometers for highly sensitive hydrogen sensing

By using PdAu nanowires as plasmonic waveguides, hybrid photon-plasmon Mach-Zehnder interferometers by integrating single-crystal PdAu alloy nanowires with silica optical microfibers are demonstrated. Based on an evanescent wave coupling technique using optical fiber tapers, surface plasmon polaritons are efficiently excited and propagated in suspended PdAu nanowires. The interference spectra show attractive properties such as broad and flexible in situ tunability with wavelength spacings ranging from ∼1 to tens of nanometers, and high extinction ratios of over 20 dB. The hybrid Mach-Zehnder interferometers show a higher sensitivity to hydrogen gas than a single-nanowire sensing approach, and the lengths of PdAu nanowires used are less than 20 μm, which are 2 or 3 orders of magnitude shorter than the lengths of Pd coatings in existing fiber-optic hydrogen sensors. Other advantages including good reversibility and low-power operation are also obtained.

A reliable, sensitive and fast optical fiber hydrogen sensor based on surface plasmon resonance

We report for the first time on the experimental response of a Surface Plasmon Resonance fiber optic sensor based on wavelength modulation for hydrogen sensing. This approach of measuring the hydrogen concentration makes the sensor insensitive to intensity fluctuations. The intrinsic fiber sensor developed provides remote sensing and enables the possibility of multi-points sensing. The sensor consists of a multilayer of 35 nm Au/180 nm SiO2/Pd deposited on a step- index multimode fiber core. The sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor are optimal at a Pd thickness of 3.75 nm. The sensor is sensitive to a hydrogen concentration ranging between 0.5 and 4% H2 in Ar, with a response time less than 15 s.

Hydrogen gas sensor based on palladium and yttrium alloy ultrathin film

Compared with the other hydrogen sensors, optical fiber hydrogen sensors based on thin films exhibits inherent safety, small volume, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and distributed remote sensing capability, but slower response characteristics. To improve response and recovery rate of the sensors, a novel reflection-type optical fiber hydrogen gas sensor with a 10 nm palladium and yttrium alloy thin film is fabricated. The alloy thin film shows a good hydrogen sensing property for hydrogen-containing atmosphere and a complete restorability for dry air at room temperature. The variation in response value of the sensor linearly increases with increased natural logarithm of hydrogen concentration (ln[H(2)]). The shortest response time and recovery response time to 4% hydrogen are 6 and 8 s, respectively. The hydrogen sensors based on Pd(0.91)Y(0.09) alloy ultrathin film have potential applications in hydrogen detection and measurement.

Palladium bridged gold nanocylinder dimer: plasmonic properties and hydrogen sensitivity

Plasmonic nanodimers facilitate electromagnetic hotspots at their gap junction. By loading these gap junctions with nanomaterials, the plasmonic properties of nanodimer can be varied. In this study, we bridged the gap junction of gold (Au) nanocylinder dimer with palladium (Pd), and numerically evaluated the plasmonic properties of the designed nanostructure. We simulated the far-field extinction spectra of Pd bridged Au nanocylinder dimer, and identified the dipole and quadrupole plasmon modes at 839 and 578 nm, respectively. By varying the geometrical parameters of the Pd bridge, we revealed the ability to tune the dipolar plasmon resonance of the bridged dimer. Further, we exploited the hydrogen sensitivity of Pd bridge to harness the bridged-Au dimer as nanoplasmonic hydrogen sensor. Such nano-optical detection platforms have minimal spatial footprint and can be further harnessed for chip-based plasmonic sensing.

An in situ study of the hydriding kinetics of Pd thin films

The hydriding kinetics of Pd thin films has been investigated in detail. The in situ experimental technique used in this work consists of a high resolution curvature measurement setup, which continuously monitors the reflections of multiple laser beams reflecting off a cantilevered sample. After mounting the sample inside a vacuum chamber, a H-containing gas mixture is introduced to instantaneously generate a given hydrogen partial pressure (p(H(2))) inside the chamber. The resulting interaction of hydrogen with the Pd layer then leads to a volume expansion of the thin film system. This induces in turn changes in the sample curvature as a result of internal stresses developing in the Pd film during a hydriding cycle. Based on such in situ curvature data, three different kinetic regimes have been resolved. The first two exhibited a linear increase of the internal stress in the compressive direction with time. A systematic study of the p(H(2))-dependency of the two constant slopes was performed, based on newly derived constitutive kinetic equations. This resulted in the identification of the first linear regime to be limited by absorption and the second one by adsorption. After adsorption equilibrium is reached at the end of the second regime, a third, non-linear kinetic regime, limited by absorption, was found to precede the final hydriding equilibrium. This switch back to absorption-limited kinetics likely occurs due to a coverage dependent change in the adsorption enthalpy of the surface hydrogen. Furthermore, from our in situ experimental data, relevant kinetic and thermodynamic hydriding parameters have been derived. As a result, this study was able to provide a self-consistent quantitative interpretation of the entire Pd room temperature hydriding cycle in the alpha-phase domain.