US2008101994A1PendingUtilityA1

Polyaniline Nanofiber Hydrogen Sensors

42
Assignee: VIRJI SHABNAMPriority: Oct 28, 2006Filed: Oct 28, 2006Published: May 1, 2008
Est. expiryOct 28, 2026(~0.3 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Shabnam VirjiRichard B. KanerBruce H. Weiller
Y10T436/22B82Y 15/00G01N 27/126G01N 33/005G01N 27/127
42
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Claims

Abstract

An apparatus for sensing hydrogen includes a transduction device with a sensing layer, and means for measuring a mass and/or conductivity change caused by an interaction of a gas with the sensing layer to provide a measure of an amount of hydrogen in the gas. The sensing layer includes polyaniline nanofiber material.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An apparatus for sensing hydrogen, comprising:
 a transduction device with a sensing layer that includes polyaniline nanofiber material; and   means for measuring a mass and/or conductivity change caused by an interaction of a gas with the sensing layer to provide a measure of an amount of hydrogen in the gas.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the transduction device is a conductivity sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 2 , further including: electrodes in electrical contact with the polyaniline nanofiber material. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 3 , wherein the electrodes are made of a material that contributes to a nonlinear relationship between a measured conductivity changes and the amount of hydrogen in the gas. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 3 , wherein the electrodes are made of platinum. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 3 , wherein the electrodes are made of gold. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 3 , wherein the electrodes are interdigitated. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the transduction device is a mass sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 8 , wherein the mass sensor is a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 8 , wherein the mass sensor is a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) device. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , further including:
 a flow cell adjacent to the polyaniline nanofiber material.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is adapted to function with the flow cell at room temperature. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is adapted to maintain a dry atmosphere within the flow cell. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of hydrogen is a hydrogen concentration. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material includes an emeraldine salt form of polyaniline. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with a substance that causes a response of the polyaniline nanofiber material to increase monotonically with hydrogen concentration. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with camphorsulfonic acid (CSA). 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ). 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with nitric acid (HNO 3 ). 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with a polymeric acid dopant. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 21 , wherein the polymeric acid dopant is polystyrenesulfonic acid (PSSA). 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 21 , wherein the polymeric acid dopant is doped with polyacrylic acid (PAA). 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 1 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material includes metal nanoparticles. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 24 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include gold (Au). 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 24 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include silver (Ag). 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 24 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include platinum (Pt). 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus for sensing hydrogen of  claim 24 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include palladium (Pd). 
     
     
         29 . A method for sensing hydrogen, comprising:
 introducing a gas into a sensor that includes electrodes and a polyaniline nanofiber material between the electrodes, the polyaniline nanofiber material being doped; and   measuring, at the electrodes, a conductivity change of the polyaniline nanofiber material to provide a measure of an amount of hydrogen in the gas.   
     
     
         30 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the gas is introduced into a flow cell of the sensor adjacent to the polyaniline nanofiber material. 
     
     
         31 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 30 , wherein the flow cell is at room temperature. 
     
     
         32 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 30 , further including:
 maintaining a dry atmosphere within the flow cell.   
     
     
         33 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 30 , wherein the flow cell contains oxygen. 
     
     
         34 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the amount of hydrogen is a hydrogen concentration. 
     
     
         35 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the electrodes are made of a material that contributes to a nonlinear relationship between the measured conductivity changes and the amount of hydrogen in the gas. 
     
     
         36 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the electrodes are made of platinum. 
     
     
         37 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the electrodes are made of gold. 
     
     
         38 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the electrodes are interdigitated. 
     
     
         39 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material includes an emeraldine salt form of polyaniline. 
     
     
         40 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with a substance that causes a response of the polyaniline nanofiber material to increase monotonically with hydrogen concentration. 
     
     
         41 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with camphorsulfonic acid (CSA). 
     
     
         42 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ). 
     
     
         43 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with nitric acid (HNO 3 ). 
     
     
         44 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with a polymeric acid dopant. 
     
     
         45 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 44 , wherein the polymeric acid dopant is polystyrenesulfonic acid (PSSA). 
     
     
         46 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 44 , wherein the polymeric acid dopant is doped with polyacrylic acid (PAA). 
     
     
         47 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 29 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material includes metal nanoparticles. 
     
     
         48 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 47 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include gold (Au). 
     
     
         49 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 47 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include silver (Ag). 
     
     
         50 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 47 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include platinum (Pt). 
     
     
         51 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 47 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include palladium (Pd). 
     
     
         52 . A method for sensing hydrogen, comprising:
 introducing a gas into a mass sensor with a sensing layer that includes polyaniline nanofiber material; and   measuring a mass change caused by an interaction of the gas with the sensing layer to provide a measure of an amount of hydrogen in the gas.   
     
     
         53 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the mass sensor is a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device. 
     
     
         54 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the mass sensor is a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) device. 
     
     
         55 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the gas is introduced into a flow cell of the sensor adjacent to the polyaniline nanofiber material. 
     
     
         56 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 55 , wherein the flow cell is at room temperature. 
     
     
         57 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 55 , further including:
 maintaining a dry atmosphere within the flow cell.   
     
     
         58 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 55 , wherein the flow cell contains oxygen. 
     
     
         59 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the amount of hydrogen is a hydrogen concentration. 
     
     
         60 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material includes an emeraldine salt form of polyaniline. 
     
     
         61 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped. 
     
     
         62 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with a substance that causes a response of the polyaniline nanofiber material to increase monotonically with hydrogen concentration. 
     
     
         63 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with camphorsulfonic acid (CSA). 
     
     
         64 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ). 
     
     
         65 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with nitric acid (HNO 3 ). 
     
     
         66 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material is doped with a polymeric acid dopant. 
     
     
         67 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 66 , wherein the polymeric acid dopant is polystyrenesulfonic acid (PSSA). 
     
     
         68 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 66 , wherein the polymeric acid dopant is doped with polyacrylic acid (PAA). 
     
     
         69 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 52 , wherein the polyaniline nanofiber material includes metal nanoparticles. 
     
     
         70 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 69 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include gold (Au). 
     
     
         71 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 69 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include silver (Ag). 
     
     
         72 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 69 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include platinum (Pt). 
     
     
         73 . The method for sensing hydrogen of  claim 69 , wherein the metal nanoparticles include palladium (Pd).

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