A novel desorption technique for improved sensitivity in sampling for gases

描述（由申请人提供）：颗粒活性炭（GAC）是挥发性有机化合物（VOC）采样的黄金标准，但最近其他含碳多孔材料，如单壁碳纳米管（SWNT）和多孔石墨化碳颗粒（HDCP）已显示出相当的吸附和解吸属性。最近的研究表明，单壁碳纳米管有效地吸收可见光并将其转化为热，这暗示了通过空气采样的负载蒸汽的样品的照射可以通过光照射解吸。这将大大简化目前的分析方法，并将提高分析的灵敏度。我们建议制造五种不同的基质衬底的基础上单壁碳纳米管，HDCP和GAC，表征其物理和吸附性能，并确定温度响应时，用各种能量和频率的脉冲，强烈的可见光照射。我们将使用产生最高温度升高的辐照方案，用甲苯蒸气加载基质，并确定每个辐照/基质/加载组合的解吸甲苯量。如果成功的话，这个项目可以为广泛的研究打开大门，这些研究将调查建立基于这种新的光解吸原理的新空气采样器所需的最佳参数。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) is the gold standard for volatile organic compound (VOC) sampling, but recently other carbonaceous porous materials like Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNT) and Porous Graphitized Carbon Particles (HDCP) have shown comparable adsorption and desorption attributes. Recent studies showed that SWNT efficiently absorb visible light and transform it in heat, hinting that irradiatio of samples loaded with vapors through air sampling could be desorbed by light irradiation. This will significantly simplify the current analytical methods and will increase sensitivity of analysi. We propose to fabricate five different matrix substrates based on SWNT, HDCP and GAC, characterize their physical and adsorption properties and determine the temperature response when irradiated with various energies and frequencies of pulsed, intense visible light. We will use the irradiation scenario that yields the highest temperature increase, load the substrates with toluene vapors and determine the amount of desorbed toluene for each irradiation/substrate/loading combination. If successful this project could open the door for extensive research that will investigate the best parameters needed to build new air samplers based on this new photo-desorption principle.