SBIR Phase I: Field-deployable Chemical Sensors for the Continuous Monitoring of Emissions

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的广泛影响是开发能够大规模、低成本地测量和量化大气挥发性分子的现场部署化学传感器。该项目最初是为天然气业务的运营商（生产商和公用事业公司）设计的，通过将该网络用于检测天然气泄漏。然而，在许多垂直行业，包括但不限于采矿、农业、制造业等，缺乏连续的大气监测解决方案是一个问题。创建这样一个平台将使我们能够开发出天然气公用事业和生产商之外的解决方案。这些解决方案将使我们能够为许多领域的连续监测创建行业标准。这项工作不仅将导致重要的技术创新，包括第一个全气相电化学测量，而且还将广泛影响社会经济，环境，并通过其对普通公民健康的影响。SBIR第一阶段的建议项目建立在我们的伏安传感概念验证的基础上，以提高其从实验室准备到现场准备的技术准备水平。这一变化将使这些传感器成为连续排放监测系统的一部分。目前还没有低成本的化学传感器可以通过识别和量化空气中的各种挥发性分子来产生高质量的数据。通过集成温度和湿度补偿，增加无水合作用的能力，并提高传感分辨率，这些传感器的现场部署将成为可能。此外，该公司将专注于使用更高吞吐量的制造工艺，如喷墨打印，使他们的传感器与卷对卷制造工艺兼容。这些功能的结合将使传感器能够在不同的地理位置和天气模式下可靠地部署和运行。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop field-deployable chemical sensors capable of measuring and quantifying atmospheric volatile molecules on a wide scale and at low cost. This project is initially intended for operators in the natural gas business (producers and utilities), by gearing this network towards detecting gas leaks. However, the lack of continuous atmospheric monitoring solutions is an issue in many verticals including but not limited to mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and others. Creating such a platform will allow for us to develop solutions beyond natural gas utilities and producers. These solutions will allow us to create industry standards for continuous monitoring in many fields. This work will not only lead to important technological innovations, including the first fully gas-phase electrochemical measurements, but also broadly impact society economically, environmentally, and through its impact on the health of average citizens.The SBIR Phase I proposed project builds upon our voltammetric sensing proof of concept to increase its technology readiness level from lab-ready to field-ready. This change will allow these sensors to be used as part of a continuous emissions monitoring system. There are currently no low cost chemical sensors that can produce high quality data by identifying and quantifying various volatile molecules in air. Field-deployment of these sensors will be possible by integrating temperature and humidity compensation, adding the ability to operate without hydration, and improving the sensing resolution. Furthermore, the company will focus on using a higher throughput fabrication process like inkjet printing, to allow their sensors to be compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing processes. The combination of these features will lead to sensors that can be robustly deployed and operated in different geographies and weather patterns.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.