Chemiresistive Ion Sensors for Water Quality Applications

这项提议旨在开发麦克马斯特的耐化学腐蚀技术，用于我们的工业合作伙伴Magnus的客户公司运营的工业水系统。Magnus Chemals Ltd是一家加拿大公司，成立于1946年，专门从事工业应用(蒸汽锅炉、冷却塔和闭环系统)的水处理。对于这些应用，重要的是检测腐蚀产物和污垢，控制碱度和水硬度，并监控水处理过程产生的其他参数。在大多数情况下，没有可靠的在线传感器来监控这些参数。人工监测涉及工厂操作员或技术人员定期使用试剂进行化学测试，并将结果与指定的化学控制限值进行比较。一些在线监测设备已经开发出来，主要依靠比色传感器和电化学传感器。色度传感器需要定期维护才能重新灌装。电化学传感器通常是无试剂的，但仍然受到其参比电极耐用性的限制。相比之下，化学电阻的设计非常简单和坚固，无需试剂或参考电极即可运行，从而降低了制造和维护成本。麦克马斯特团队(Kruse，Selvan anapathy Group)在过去8年里一直致力于开发基于纳米碳膜(如碳纳米管(CNTs)或剥离的几层石墨烯(FLG))的化学电阻传感器，这种传感器基于可切换掺杂剂分子修饰的纳米碳膜，基于分子的掺杂特性因其化学环境的变化而改变的概念。由于我们纳米碳膜的2D性质，以及我们特定分子掺杂行为的变化，可以通过测量纳米碳膜的电阻率来读出分子开关的状态。读出可以在低电压下进行，从而能够在水中分析物中操作，而不会引发电化学过程。这笔赠款提供了一个极大地扩大化学电阻在水质应用中的用途的机会。

This proposal aims to develop McMaster's chemiresistive technology for use in industrial water systems run by the client companies of our industrial partner, Magnus. Magnus Chemicals Ltd, a Canadian company founded in 1946, specializes in water treatment for industrial applications (steam boilers, cooling towers and closed loop cooling systems). For these applications, it is important to detect corrosion products and fouling, control alkalinity and water hardness, and monitor other parameters resulting from the water treatment processes. In most cases, reliable online sensors for monitoring these parameters are not available. Manual monitoring involves plant operators or technicians conducting chemical tests with reagents at regular intervals and comparing the results to specified chemical control limits. Some devices for online monitoring have been developed, mainly relying on colorimetric and electrochemical sensors. Colorimetric sensors require periodic maintenance for refills. Electrochemical sensors are typically reagentless, but nevertheless limited by the durability of their reference electrodes. In contrast, chemiresistors have a very simple and robust design and can operate without reagents or reference electrodes, thus reducing manufacturing and maintenance costs. The McMaster team (Kruse, Selvaganapathy groups) has worked over the last 8 years to develop chemiresistive sensors based on nanocarbon films such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or exfoliated few-layer graphene (FLG) modified with switchable dopant molecules, based on the notion of switching the doping characteristic of a molecule due to changes in its chemical environment. Due to the 2D nature of our nanocarbon films, and the change in doping behavior of our specific molecules, the state of the molecular switch can be read out by measuring the resistivity of the nanocarbon film. The read-out can occur at low voltages, enabling operation in aqueous analytes without inducing electro-chemical processes. This grant provides an opportunity to significantly broaden the utility of chemiresistors in water quality applications.