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

PIs建议评估多孔硅（pSi）传感器在海上的应用。多孔硅传感器将在实验室压力电池中制造和测试，以模拟海洋压力和温度。光学纳米结构可以在pSi传感器中精确制造；分析物的存在会在纳米结构的光学特性（如反射率光谱）中产生易于检测的变化。pSi传感器已在陆地上用于检测许多化学和生物信号，也已用于生物医学应用的液体溶液。pi认为pSi传感器可以开发用于海洋科学应用，具有固有耐压性，高灵敏度，小尺寸，低功耗和低成本的理想品质。在这次测试中，化学目标将是甲烷，因为a)甲烷在海洋中的重要性，b)现有深海甲烷传感器的局限性。pSi传感器在海上的应用存在许多未知因素，特别是生物污染和腐蚀问题。对于pSi传感器来说，海洋将是一个全新的、未经测试的工作环境。更广泛的影响PIs建议为海洋科学开发一种新的观测测量技术。新的海洋传感器也将立即应用于环境监测和工业过程。此外，拟议的活动将为研究生提供培训和教育，并促进跨学科研究。

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.