RADICAL: Developing an electronic sensor for detecting short-lived atmospheric radicals and other gases
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ABSTRACT:
Atmospheric radicals, particularly hydroxyl and nitrate, are the drivers of chemical processes that determine atmospheric composition and influence air quality and climate. However, the detection of these short-lived atmospheric radicals is far from routine, and only a few labs worldwide can accurately measure their concentrations in air. Current techniques for measuring radicals are based on spectroscopic and mass spectrometric methods, which although sensitive and robust, are technically complex, cumbersome and expensive.
This presentation provides an overview, and a discussion of the latest results, from the EU-funded project ‘RADICAL’ which is developing a small, affordable sensor to electrically detect short-lived atmospheric radicals in real-time. This will be the first gas sensor built from an array of junctionless nanowire transistors, which have proven popular for liquid-based sensors. These silicon devices are functionalised with organic “probe” molecules (e.g. alkenes) for high selectivity and sensitivity towards the target analytes. Preliminary results for these sensors show ppb-level detection capability towards different atmospheric species including NO2, O3 and HOx.
Although challenging, RADICAL sensors not only have the potential to be deployed on a large scale but can also be adapted to detect other important atmospheric gases, particularly on short-timescales. The project team welcomes ideas for future collaborations on how these sensors might be best applied in real-life environmental monitoring situations.
Acknowledgements:
All RADICAL partners, EU funding
Additional Information:
John Wenger delivered this presentation for Air Sensors International Conference 2024.
RADICAL represents a 'Fundamental Breakthrough in Detection of Atmospheric Free Radicals'.
Find out more on the RADICAL project website: radical-air.eu
The RADICAL project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 899282.
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Wenger - Next Generation Sensing.pdf
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- Available
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2024-05-02