A New Low Cost Ammonia Sensor for Environmental Health Monitoring

描述(由申请人提供)：KWJ Engineering Inc.建议将我们在电化学传感器设计、制造和新型电解液技术方面的多年经验和知识与现代制造技术相结合，开发一种用于检测和定量氨(NH3)的新型超低成本电化学传感器，与目前可用的工业传感器相比，其性能有所改善。我们提出了一种新型的低成本、高性能的NH3安培气体传感器，它支持NIEHS的使命，通过了解每个组件及其相互关系来减少环境原因造成的人类疾病和功能障碍的负担。以这里建议的NH3传感器为例，我们正在提议的新技术将能够通过对各种可氧化或可还原的有毒气体的随时适应而广泛支持NIEHS的使命。所建议的传感器的极低成本和灵活性将使一种新的微尺度技术能够同时检测和定量多种环境暴露剂，在这种情况下，有毒气体包括NH3、胺、CO、SO2、NO2、NO和HCN。第一阶段计划的具体目标将包括表征NH3吸收和使用新电解液检测NH3，开发新的安培传感器平台的制造方法，以及使用完成的传感器测试NH3监测。新的传感器将使用一种新型的电解液来促进对空气中大气NH3的高信噪比、高灵敏度、定量测量，这一点超过了传统的气体传感器。这种方法提供了几个潜在的优点，包括显著提高了检测极限和灵敏度，改善了稳定性和干扰抑制，以及延长了传感器寿命。虽然安培法NH3监测相对常见，但其中使用的电解液多年来并没有改善。这为发展相对未被探索的科学提供了机会，并将其与一种新的、技术创新的传感器相结合，以解决与公共卫生相关的关键问题。一种新的、价格便宜得多的有毒气体传感器的经济潜力是巨大的，它可以弥合性价比差距。 与公众健康相关：一种新的通用型有毒气体传感器的可用性将极大地有利于公众健康，这种传感器具有更高的性能和更低的成本。这将彻底改变并极大地扩大气体探测器在不同应用中的使用。新的能力也将成为可能，包括使这项研究在大片地区的有毒气体水平成为可能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): KWJ Engineering Inc. proposes to combine our years of experience and knowledge of electrochemical sensor design, manufacturing and novel electrolyte technology with modern fabrication techniques to develop a new, ultra low-cost electrochemical sensor for the detection and quantification of ammonia (NH3), with improved performance compared to currently available industrial sensors. We propose a new type of low cost, high performance amperometric gas sensor for NH3 which supports the NIEHS mission to reduce the burden of human disease and dysfunction from environmental causes by understanding each of these components and how they interrelate. Exemplified by the NH3 sensor proposed here, the new technology we are proposing will be able to broadly support the mission of NIEHS by ready adaptability to a wide variety of oxidizable or reducible toxic gases. The extreme low cost and flexibility of the proposed sensors will enable a new microscale technology for detecting and quantifying simultaneously multiple environmental exposure agents, in this case, toxic gases including NH3, amines, CO, SO2, NO2 , NO and HCN. The Specific Aims of the Phase I program will include characterization of NH3 absorption and detection of NH3 using the new electrolyte, development of the fabrication method for the new amperometric sensor platform and testing of NH3 monitoring with the completed sensor. The new sensor will use a novel electrolyte to promote high signal-to-noise, high sensitivity, quantitative measurement of atmospheric NH3 in air, which surpasses what is available with conventional gas sensors. This approach offers several potential advantages including significantly enhanced detection limit and sensitivity, improved stability and interferent rejection and improved sensor lifetime. While amperometric NH3 monitoring is relatively common, the electrolytes used in them have not improved over the years. This presents the opportunity to develop relatively unexplored science and to couple this with a new, technologically innovative sensor to solve critical problems related to public health. The economic potential of a new, much less expensive toxic gas sensor that bridges the cost-performance gap is significant. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The availability of a new general type of toxic gas sensor that offers improved performance and reduced cost will be of great benefit for public health. This would revolutionize and tremendously expand use of gas detectors in diverse applications. New capabilities would become possible as well, including enabling the study toxic gas levels over large areas.