SBIR Phase I: Novel Nanohybrids for Room-Temperature Hydrogen Detection

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在通过探索碳纳米管(CNT)负载SnO2纳米晶体的新型纳米混合传感平台，显著提升H2气体传感技术。氢气作为清洁能源的高需求推动了氢气传感器市场的快速增长。氢气的早期检测对氢气的安全处理至关重要，并最终支持氢气经济的市场可行性。目前，还没有一种单一的氢气传感器技术能够满足氢气广泛使用所需的泄漏检测和安全特性。基于所提出的SnO2-CNT平台的小型化电阻传感器具有低成本、低能耗、优异的室温灵敏度和实现选择性的灵活性，有望用于氢检测。本研究的更广泛的商业影响是，将开发的小型化氢传感器将通过实现氢燃料的安全部署而直接造福社会。结合新型纳米材料的独特性质和微电子器件制造的快速进展，有望利用现有的微加工基础设施来制备低成本、新型的电子器件结构。该平台中使用的主要传感材料碳纳米管和二氧化锡是负担得起的，特别是考虑到每个传感器所需的材料数量很少。使用预制的传感器基板，传感器的制造时间约为几分钟。该项目还将培训威斯康星大学纳米材料、纳米设备和绿色能源领域的研究生和本科生。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to significantly advanceH2 gas sensing technologies by exploring a novel nanohybrid sensing platform of SnO2nanocrystals supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The high demand of H2 as a clean energysource drives the fast growth of the H2 sensor market. Early detection of H2 is essential to thesafe handling of H2, and ultimately supports the market feasibility of a hydrogen economy.Currently, no single H2 sensor technology exists that can meet the leak detection and safetyfeatures required for the widespread use of H2. Miniaturized resistive sensors based on theproposed SnO2-CNT platform are promising for H2 detection with low cost, low energyconsumption, superior sensitivity at room temperature, and flexibility to realize selectivity.The broader/commercial impacts of this research are that miniaturized H2 sensors to bedeveloped will directly benefit society by enabling secure deployment of hydrogen fuel.Combining the unique properties of novel nanomaterials with rapid progress in microelectronicdevice fabrication promises low-cost, novel electronic device structures that can be readilyfabricated using existing microfabrication infrastructures. The major sensing materials used inthis platform, CNTs and SnO2, are affordable, particularly given the small amount of materialsneeded for each sensor. With a pre-fabricated sensor substrate, the sensor fabrication time is onthe order of minutes. The project will also train UWM graduate and undergraduate students inthe areas of nanomaterials, nanodevices, and green energy.