SBIR Phase I: Screen-Printed Gas Sensor using Nanoparticulate Catalyst

该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)项目将基于丝网印刷电子技术设计和制造一种工业质量的电化学一氧化碳(CO)传感器。印刷电子学是一个不断增长的领域，一些组织已经将其应用于制造低成本的生物传感器或温度传感器。然而，还没有人将印刷电子学应用于制作电化学(EC)气体传感器。该团队在设计和制造电化学传感器方面拥有丰富的知识和经验，并曾对印制传感器电极进行过前期研发。因此，该公司拥有将这两个领域合并并创造出具有重大价值的创新产品的独特机会和资格：大规模生产成本不到0.25美元的工业质量电化学传感器(相比之下，即使是批量购买，工业EC传感器的成本也可能远远超过20美元)。这项研究产生了更广泛的影响，因为虽然所建议的传感器将是仅用于检测CO的理想传感器，但通过该SBIR开发的生产技术只需极少的更改即可生产出用于检测其他有毒气体的类似EC传感器。这些气体包括：O2、NO、H2S、SO2、臭氧和NO2，对于这些气体，通常需要和使用EC传感器。电化学传感器及其监测器/检测器的设计、生产和销售是一个价值数亿美元的全球市场。这些传感器和探测器用于检测环境监测和控制、燃料加工、医疗气体、国家安全、家居检查、急救人员、工人安全和健康、科学研究以及个人和家居保护等领域的各种气体。

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) project will result in the design and manufacture of an industrial quality, electrochemical, Carbon Monoxide (CO) sensor based on screen-printed electronics technology. Printed electronics is a growing field, and some groups have applied it to create low-cost biosensors or temperature sensors. However, no one has yet applied printed electronics to making an electrochemical (EC) gas sensors. The team has extensive knowledge and experience in the design and manufacture of electrochemical sensors, and has done prior R&D with printed sensor electrodes. As such, the company has the unique opportunity and qualifications to merge these two fields and create an innovative product of significant merit: an industrial quality electrochemical sensor costing less than $0.25 to produce in high volume (as compared to industrial EC sensors that can cost well over $20 to purchase even in volume). The broader impacts of this research arise from the fact that while the sensor proposed will be ideal for detection of CO only, very few changes to the production techniques developed through this SBIR will be required to produce similar EC sensors for the detection of other toxic gases. These gases include: O2, NO, H2S, SO2, Ozone, and NO2, for which EC sensors are commonly needed and used. The design, production, and sales of electrochemical sensors, and the monitors/detectors that incorporate them, is a worldwide market valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. These sensors and detectors are used to detect a variety of gases in fields such as environmental monitoring and control, fuel processing, medical gas, national security, home inspection, first responder, worker safety and health, scientific research, and personal and home protection.