Electrochemical Sensor for the Detection of SO2 in the Low-ppb Range

Quantum cascade laser absorption sensor for in-situ, real-time and sensitive measurement of high-temperature SO2 and SO3

We report a mid-infrared quantum cascade laser absorption sensor capable of measuring SO2 and SO3 simultaneously and sensitively at elevated temperatures. In the sensor development, the intense transitions of SO2 and SO3 in the mid-infrared region of 1129 cm-1 and 1398 cm-1 were exploited by two quantum cascade lasers. A high-temperature multipass cell was adopted to increase the absorption path length to 10 m. The quantitative concentrations of SOx were directly obtained from the calibration-free wavelength modulation spectroscopic method, which was validated at varied temperature and pressure conditions. From Allan deviation analysis, we achieved a minimum detection limit of 8 parts per billion (ppb) for SO2 and 3 ppb for SO3, with an average time of 100 s. Lastly, we successfully demonstrated the real-time and sensitive measurement of SO2 and SO3 during the oxidation reaction of SO2 by O3 at 460 K. Our laser sensor shows great potential for in-situ and real-time monitoring of SOx from combustion emissions.

A rationally designed fluorescent probe for sulfur dioxide and its derivatives: applications in food analysis and bioimaging

Exogenous sulfur dioxide (SO2) and its derivatives (SO32-/HSO3-) have been extensively utilized in food preservation and endogenous SO2 is recognized as a significant gaseous signaling molecule that can mediate various physiological processes. Overproduction and/or extensive intake of these species can trigger allergic reactions and even tissue damage. Therefore, it is highly desirable to monitor SO2 and its derivatives effectively and quantitatively both in vitro and in vivo. Herein, a new mitochondria-targeted fluorescent probe (PIB) had been constructed, which could ratiometrically recognize SO2 and its derivatives with excellent sensitivity (DL = 15.9 nM) and a fast response time (200 s). The obtained high selectivity and good adaptability of this SO2-specific probe in a wide pH range (6.5-10.0) allowed for quantitatively tracking of SO2 and its derivatives in real food samples (granulated sugar, crystal sugar, and white wine). In addition, PIB could locate at mitochondrion and was capable of imaging exogenous/endogenous SO2 in the cells and zebrafish. In particular, our findings represented one of the rare examples that have demonstrated endogenous SO2 is closely related with the apoptosis of cells. Importantly, probe PIB was successfully employed for in situ metabolic localization in mouse organs, implying the potential applications of our probe in further exploration on SO2-releated pathological and physiological processes.

Detection of sulfur dioxide at low parts-per-million concentrations using low-cost planar electrodes with ionic liquid electrolytes

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is a toxic gas at low parts-per-million (ppm) concentrations, with a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 2 ppm. Its detection is mandatory, particularly in the fields of occupational health and safety, and environmental pollution. In this work, ppm concentration detection of sulfur dioxide was performed in six room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), as well as on two different electrode materials - platinum and gold - and with two different electrode geometries, i.e. macro thin-film electrodes (TFEs) and microarray thin-film electrodes (MATFEs). Calibration curves were established for 10-200 ppm SO₂ using cyclic voltammetry to determine the optimum combination of RTIL, electrode surface and geometry for the sensing. The RTIL 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonium)imide ([C₄mpyrr][NTf₂]) with a platinum thin-film electrode was found to give the best response due to the relatively low viscosity of the RTIL combined with the high sensitivity and a clean blank response. On MATFEs, deposited sulfur particles - confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to an energy dispersive spectrometer - were found to passivate and block some of the microholes, leading to unstable long-term chronoamperometric responses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first observation of sulfur deposition from SO₂ reduction in aprotic ionic liquids. Consecutive additions of 2 ppm SO₂ were studied in [C₄mpyrr][NTf₂] on a TFE using long-term chronoamperometry, showing excellent reproducibility upon successive additions. This demonstrates that small volumes of RTILs can be combined with miniaturized, low-cost TFEs and applied for the reliable and continuous monitoring of sulfur dioxide gas at concentrations lower than the permissible exposure limit of 2 ppm.

ppb-Level SO2 Photoacoustic Sensors with a Suppressed Absorption-Desorption Effect by Using a 7.41 μm External-Cavity Quantum Cascade Laser

A sensitive photoacoustic sensor system for the detection of ppb-level sulfur dioxide (SO₂) was developed by the use of a continuous-wave room-temperature, high-power quantum cascade laser (QCL) with an external diffraction grating cavity geometry. The excitation wavelength of the QCL was set to 7.41 μm for the strongest SO₂ absorption line strength. A custom-made differential photoacoustic cell (PAC) with two identical resonators was designed to allow a gas flow rate up to 1200 sccm. A qualitative theoretical model was employed in order to understand the dynamic adsorption and desorption processes of SO₂ in the PAC walls. A 1σ detection limit of 2.45 ppb, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption value of 3.32 × 10^-9 cm^-1 W/Hz^1/2, was achieved after measures for suppressing the absorption-desorption effect were taken.

An ultralow power nanosensor array for selective detection of air pollutants

Semiconducting metal oxide gas sensors typically operate at a high temperature and consume hundreds of milliwatts of power. Therefore there is great demand for the development of a low-power gas-sensing technology that can sensitively and selectively detect the gas analytes present in the atmosphere. We report an ultralow-power nanosensor array platform, integrated with an independently controlled nanoheater of size 4 μm × 100 nm, which consumes ∼1.8 mW power when operated continuously at 300 °C. The heaters exhibit a fast thermal response time of less than 1 μs, and can be utilized to operate in duty cycle mode, leading to power saving. The active area of the nanosensor is 1 μm × 200 nm, defined by sensing electrodes with a nanogap of ∼200nm, leading to small form factor. As a proof of concept, each of the sensing elements in the array is functionalized with different sensing materials to demonstrate a low-power, sensitive and selective multiplexed gas-sensing technology for the simultaneous detection of CO (∼93.2% for 3 ppm at 300 °C), CO₂ (∼76.3% for 1000 ppm at 265 °C), NO₂ (∼2301% for 3 ppm at 150 °C) and SO₂ (∼94% for 3 ppm at 265 °C). The technology described here uses scalable crossbar architecture for sensor elements, thus enabling the integration of additional sensing materials and making it customizable for specific applications.

Facile preparation of Silicon/ZnO thin film heterostructures and ultrasensitive toxic gas sensing at room temperature: Substrate dependence on specificity

Two types of silicon-Zinc oxide (ZnO) heterostructures were prepared simply by depositing (drop casting) chemically prepared ZnO nanoparticles onto single crystalline (p-type) silicon substrates (Si) as well as electrochemically prepared p-type porous silicon (PS). ZnO nanoparticles and PS/ZnO structures were characterized structurally by various techniques. By depositing in-plane gold contacts on the heterostructures, gas sensors were fabricated and characterized electrochemically by dc and ac impedance measurements. The PS/ZnO sensors showed specific response at room temperature for NO₂ with increase in current and no significant response for other reducing and oxidizing gases. The sensor is sensitive to 200 ppb NO₂ at 25 °C with 35% change in current and 50 s response time. Temperature dependent studies of sensor in the range of 25-100 °C have shown maximum sensitivity at 40 °C (50% change for 200 ppb) with decreasing sensitivity thereafter (23% change at 60 °C), indicating the suitability of the sensor till 60 °C. Alternatively Si/ZnO heterostructures showed maximum response with NO₂, along with lesser specific responses for SO₂ and NH₃. Detailed multifrequency impedance studies with temperature suggested the role of space charge layers at various interfaces in the charge transport properties of PS/ZnO and Si/ZnO heterostructures resulting in their specific gas sensing properties.

CMOS Amperometric ADC With High Sensitivity, Dynamic Range and Power Efficiency for Air Quality Monitoring

Airborne pollutants are a leading cause of illness and mortality globally. Electrochemical gas sensors show great promise for personal air quality monitoring to address this worldwide health crisis. However, implementing miniaturized arrays of such sensors demands high performance instrumentation circuits that simultaneously meet challenging power, area, sensitivity, noise and dynamic range goals. This paper presents a new multi-channel CMOS amperometric ADC featuring pixel-level architecture for gas sensor arrays. The circuit combines digital modulation of input currents and an incremental Σ∆ ADC to achieve wide dynamic range and high sensitivity with very high power efficiency and compact size. Fabricated in 0.5 [Formula: see text] CMOS, the circuit was measured to have 164 dB cross-scale dynamic range, 100 fA sensitivity while consuming only 241 [Formula: see text] and 0.157 [Formula: see text] active area per channel. Electrochemical experiments with liquid and gas targets demonstrate the circuit's real-time response to a wide range of analyte concentrations.

Methane-oxygen electrochemical coupling in an ionic liquid: a robust sensor for simultaneous quantification

Current sensor devices for the detection of methane or natural gas emission are either expensive and have high power requirements or fail to provide a rapid response. This report describes an electrochemical methane sensor utilizing a non-volatile and conductive pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte and an innovative internal standard method for methane and oxygen dual-gas detection with high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. At a platinum electrode in bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (NTf2)-based ILs, methane is electro-oxidized to produce CO2 and water when an oxygen reduction process is included. The in situ generated CO2 arising from methane oxidation was shown to provide an excellent internal standard for quantification of the electrochemical oxygen sensor signal. The simultaneous quantification of both methane and oxygen in real time strengthens the reliability of the measurements by cross-validation of two ambient gases occurring within a single sample matrix and allows for the elimination of several types of random and systematic errors in the detection. We have also validated this IL-based methane sensor employing both conventional solid macroelectrodes and flexible microfabricated electrodes using single- and double-potential step chronoamperometry.

Wearable autonomous microsystem with electrochemical gas sensor array for real-time health and safety monitoring

Airborne pollution and explosive gases threaten human health and occupational safety, therefore generating high demand for a wearable autonomous multi-analyte gas sensor system for real-time environmental monitoring. This paper presents a system level solution through synergistic integration of sensors, electronics, and data analysis algorithms. Electrochemical sensors featuring ionic liquids were chosen to provide low-power room-temperature operation, rapid response, high sensitivity, good selectivity, and a long operating life with low maintenance. The system utilizes a multi-mode electrochemical instrumentation circuit that combines all signal condition functions within a single microelectronics chip to minimize system cost, size and power consumption. Embedded sensor array signal processing algorithms enable gas classification and concentration estimation within a real-world mixture of analytes. System design and integration methodologies are described, and preliminary results are shown for a first generation SO(2) sensor and a thumb-drive sized prototype system.

Edge-tailored graphene oxide nanosheet-based field effect transistors for fast and reversible electronic detection of sulfur dioxide

Graphene oxide was tailored into GO nanosheets with periodic acid treatment. Interestingly, the latter have a superior sensing performance for the fast and reversible detection of SO(2) compared with the former at room temperature. Its sensing mechanism was proposed from the structural changes of the GO nanosheets during the sensing and recovering processes.

Inkjet printing of nanoporous gold electrode arrays on cellulose membranes for high-sensitive paper-like electrochemical oxygen sensors using ionic liquid electrolytes

A simple approach to the mass production of nanoporous gold electrode arrays on cellulose membranes for electrochemical sensing of oxygen using ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes was established. The approach, combining the inkjet printing of gold nanoparticle (GNP) patterns with the self-catalytic growth of these patterns into conducting layers, can fabricate hundreds of self-designed gold arrays on cellulose membranes within several hours using an inexpensive inkjet printer. The resulting paper-based gold electrode arrays (PGEAs) had several unique properties as thin-film sensor platforms, including good conductivity, excellent flexibility, high integration, and low cost. The porous nature of PGEAs also allowed the addition of electrolytes from the back cellulose membrane side and controllably produced large three-phase electrolyte/electrode/gas interfaces at the front electrode side. A novel paper-based solid-state electrochemical oxygen (O(2)) sensor was therefore developed using an IL electrolyte, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF(6)). The sensor looked like a piece of paper but possessed high sensitivity for O(2) in a linear range from 0.054 to 0.177 v/v %, along with a low detection limit of 0.0075% and a short response time of less than 10 s, foreseeing its promising applications in developing cost-effective and environment-friendly paper-based electrochemical gas sensors.