Exploratory Research: Evaluation of Porous-Silicon Sensors for Marine Science Applications

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The PIs propose to evaluate Porous Silicon (pSi) sensors for marine applications. Porous Silicon sensors will be fabricated and tested in a laboratory pressure cell, to simulate ocean pressures and temperatures. Optical nanostructures can be precisely fabricated in pSi sensors; the presence of an analyte will produce readily detectable changes in the nanostructure's optical properties such as the reflectivity spectrum. pSi sensors have been used on land to detect a number of chemical and biological signals, and have also been used in liquid solutions for biomedical applications. The PIs feel that pSi sensors could be developed for ocean science applications with the desirable qualities of inherent pressure tolerance, high sensitivity, small size, low power consumption and low cost. For this test, the chemical target will be methane, due to a) the importance of methane in the oceans, and b) the limitations of existing deep ocean methane sensors. There are significant unknowns concerning marine applications for pSi sensors, particularly biofouling and corrosion. The oceans will be a new and untested operating environment for pSi sensors. Broader ImpactsThe PIs proposed to develop a new observational measurement technology for the ocean sciences. New ocean sensors would also have immediate applications in environmental monitoring and industrial processes. In addition, the proposed activity will provide training and education for graduate students and promote crossdisciplinary research.