STTR Phase II: Graphene Based NOx Detector

这个小型企业技术转移（STTR）二期项目将开发一种低成本、高灵敏度的氮氧化物（NOx）探测器。该探测器将基于最近发现的材料——石墨烯。在最基本的形式下，石墨烯由单层碳原子组成，排列成六边形阵列。自2004年首次分离以来，科学家们一直在迅速记录石墨烯不同寻常的物理和电学特性，以及这种独特的多功能材料的许多潜在商业应用。气体探测器，如目前提出的氮氧化物传感器，将是石墨烯基器件的第一个商业应用。石墨烯薄膜可以探测到被吸附气体的单个分子。这项研究的广泛影响是，一种有效、廉价的氮氧化物传感器的可用性，将使汽车和卡车应用中的发动机状态闭环控制成为可能，使制造商能够同时优化车辆性能和燃油经济性，同时将氮氧化物排放保持在标准范围内。廉价的便携式氮氧化物传感器也将使排放监测范围广泛的其他工业和监管应用。此外，所开发的技术将扩展石墨烯材料加工和器件应用的知识库。石墨烯还有更多的应用，从高速晶体管到自旋电子器件，从辐射探测器（太赫兹从红外到光学）到NEMS器件。石墨烯还提供了将这些功能组合到单个器件中的潜力。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project will develop a low-cost, high sensitivity detector for nitrogen oxides (NOx). The detector will be based on the recently discovered material - graphene. In its most elemental form, graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal array. Since first isolated in 2004, scientists have been rapidly documenting the unusual physical and electrical properties of graphene, and the many potential commercial applications of this unique and multifunctional material. Gas detectors, such as the presently proposed NOx sensor, will be the first commercial application for graphene based devices. Graphene films can potentially detect down to a single molecule of an adsorbed gas.The broader impacts of this research are that the availability of an effective, inexpensive NOx sensor will enable closed-loop control of engine conditions in auto and truck applications, allowing manufacturers to simultaneously optimize vehicle performance and fuel economy, while maintaining NOx emissions within standards. A portable version of the inexpensive NOx sensor will also enable emissions monitoring for a wide range of other industrial and regulatory applications. In addition, the technology developed will extend the knowledge base for graphene material processing and device applications. Many more applications for graphene are possible, ranging from high speed transistors to spintronic devices to radiation detectors (THz through infrared to optical) to NEMS devices. Graphene also offers the potential to combine these functions into a single device.