New generation amperometric gas sensors

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The need for measurements of chemical is ubiquitous. This project proposes entirely new concepts to transform the performance of electrochemical gas sensors - for which the world market is estimated at 1.5 billion annually, with applications in environmental monitoring, automotive emission control, industrial safety and medical treatment.Consultants Frost and Sullivan say 'a general demand from the end user is for an instrument that is smaler in size, cheaper in price, and veratile in functionality'. Electrochemical methods are widely used especially where low cost, compact and low power sensors are needed. Such sensors are also highly suitable where reliable, remote monitoring is needed. Illustrative examples of applications include CO detectors in smoke alarms, oxygen sensors, chlorine sensors used in water treatment, hydrogen sulphide and nitrogen dioxide sensors used in environmental monitoring and ozone sensors used in atmospheric sensing.Current electorchemical sensors were based on a design developed as long ago as 1956! Discussions with manufacturers and users of gas sensors have convinced the applicants of an urgent need for a new generation of amperometric sensors. It is the purpose of the work suggested in this proposal to provide these new sensors by using the special properties of liquids composed entirely of ions (charged particles) in combination with electrodes of the tiniest size possible to make much faster respondig sensors, much longer lived sensors, sensors which have no need for calibration and sensors which can be easily used at low and high temperatures.