Development of gas nanosensors for simultaneous electrical and optical measurements. NEOGAS

This project presents a new approach towards the development of advanced selective solid-state gas sensors. The foundational idea relies on benefitting from the simultaneous occurrence of different physical and chemical changes induced by a particular gas on the sensing material and measuring these changes through simultaneous electrical and optical signals. Due to the different gas response patterns of these readouts, the device will constitute an integrated nanoelectronic nose. NEOGAS aims at developing the advanced sensing materials that show this behaviour, at integrating these materials with suitable ad-hoc designed substrates and at testing their gas response both in laboratory and in field tests. The target application is the detection of gases involved in climate change, thus collaborating in the monitoring and control of such gas emissions. This will be achieved through the joint effort of four research institutions with expertise in gas sensor development.

In particular, the subproject focuses on the development of innovative optical-resistive hybrid gas sensors, their design and integration onto transparent substrates for simultaneous electrical and optical measurements. The active layers will be nanomaterials with luminescent properties such as one-dimensional metallic oxides (nanowires, nanofibers, nanobelts) doped with rare earths and novel bidimensional materials such as graphite and MoS₂.