Validation and Characterization of Micro Gas Analyzer for Enhanced Gas Detection

室内空气质量受到挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）的强烈影响，即使在非常低的浓度（通常在十亿分之一，ppb范围内）也会对健康构成严重威胁。固态化学传感器通常由高度工程化的廉价材料制成，对VOC非常敏感，并且易于制造。然而，最大的挑战是对特定目标气体的选择性或交叉敏感性。与我们的行业合作伙伴Alphatron technology合作，我们计划开发一种基于纳米技术的新型智能传感器系统，用于选择性和敏感地监测室内环境中特定的VOC，以实现按需控制的通风。这将通过在明确的结构中使用新颖的纳米材料来实现，通过热能和辐射能激活，以及在优化条件下操作传感器系统以提高性能。两种不同类别的半导体气敏材料将被研究：1）Alphatron技术开发的材料，通过热能激活，和2）UBC研究小组合成的新型传感材料通过LED发出的紫外线辐射激活。该研究开发的传感器系统结合室内空气质量的综合用户界面，预计将在未来的20年内找到相当大的市场。市场在北美和更远的地方，特别是如果系统是直观的，并以低成本提供。

Quality of indoor air is strongly affected by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which pose a serious healthrisk even at very low concentrations (usually at part-per-billion, ppb, range). Solid-state chemical sensors thatare typically made of highly engineered inexpensive materials are quite sensitive to VOCs and are easy tofabricate. However, the biggest challenges are selectivity to a particular target gas or cross-sensitivity.In collaboration with our industry partner, Alphatron technology, we plan to develop a novel nanotechnologybased intelligent sensor systems for selective and sensitive monitoring of particular VOCs fordemand-controlled ventilation in indoor environments. This will be achieved by employing novelnanomaterials in well-defined structures, activated by thermal and radiation energy as well as operating sensorsystems in optimized conditions for enhanced performance.Two different classes of semiconductor gas-sensing material will be studied: 1) The material developed byAlphatron technology, activated by thermal energy, and 2) The new sensing materials synthesized by UBCresearch team activated by UV radiation emitted from LEDs.Sensor systems developed in this research combined with a comprehensive user interface for indoor air qualityis expected to find a considerable market in North America and beyond, especially if the systems are intuitiveand available at low cost.