A New Low Cost Ammonia Sensor for Environmental Health Monitoring

描述（由申请人提供）：KWJ工程公司建议将我们多年的电化学传感器设计，制造和新型电解质技术的经验和知识与现代制造技术相结合，开发一种新的，超低成本的电化学传感器，用于氨（NH3）的检测和定量，与目前可用的工业传感器相比，性能有所提高。我们提出了一种新型的低成本，高性能的氨安培气体传感器，通过了解这些成分及其相互关系，支持NIEHS的使命，减少人类疾病和环境原因造成的功能障碍的负担。以这里提出的NH3传感器为例，我们提出的新技术将能够广泛地支持NIEHS的使命，因为它对各种可氧化或可还原的有毒气体具有现成的适应性。该传感器极低的成本和灵活性将使一种新的微尺度技术能够同时检测和量化多种环境暴露剂，在这种情况下，包括NH3、胺、CO、SO2、NO2、NO和HCN在内的有毒气体。第一阶段项目的具体目标将包括使用新电解质表征NH3吸收和检测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。这种新型传感器将使用一种新型电解质来促进空气中大气NH3的高信噪比、高灵敏度、定量测量，这超过了传统气体传感器的可用性。这种方法具有几个潜在的优点，包括显著提高检测极限和灵敏度，提高稳定性和抗干扰性，提高传感器寿命。虽然安培NH3监测相对普遍，但其中使用的电解质多年来没有改进。这为发展相对未开发的科学提供了机会，并将其与技术创新的新传感器相结合，以解决与公共卫生有关的关键问题。一种新型的、更便宜的有毒气体传感器的经济潜力是巨大的，它弥补了成本和性能之间的差距。

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.