Gas sensor devices comprising organized carbon and non-carbon assembly

Abstract

This invention relates generally to gas sensors comprising organized assemblies of carbon and non-carbon compounds. The invention also relates to devices containing such gas sensors and analysis units. In preferred embodiments, the organized assemblies of the instant invention take the form of nanorods or their aggregate forms. More preferably, a nanorod is made up of a carbon nanotube filled, coated, or both filled and coated by a non-carbon material.

1 . A device for detecting an analyte gas, comprising:
 a sensor comprising a carbon nanotube filled with one or more non-carbon materials comprising a titanium compound, zirconium, zirconium hydride, hafnium, hafnium hydride, vanadium, vanadium hydride, a manganese compound, iron, iron hydride, cobalt, cobalt hydride, nickel, nickel hydride, palladium, palladium hydride, platinum, platinum hydride, copper, copper hydride, zinc, zinc hydride, or the combination thereof;   an analysis unit connected to the sensor, and detects or determines the concentration of the analyte gas in a background gas by measuring the Electronic Property Response of the sensor due to the analyte gas;   wherein the sensor and the analysis unit are designed such that the average Electronic Property Response is ≧1% when the analyte gas has concentrations of 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor provides higher Electronic Property Response than a sensor comprising a carbon nanotube provides. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said carbon nanotube is a single wall carbon nanotube or a multi wall carbon nanotube. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein said carbon nanotube is a single wall carbon nanotube with an outer diameter varying in the range of 1.0 nm to 1.8 nm. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said Electronic Property Response is Resistive Response, Resistive Response derived from Circuit, or Capacitive Response derived from Circuit. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-carbon material comprises a titanium compound, a manganese compound, iron, cobalt, nickel, palladium, platinum, or the combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein said non-carbon material comprises a titanium compound having a formula TiH w B x N y O z , wherein w=0 to 2, x=0 to 2, y=0 to 1, and z=0 to 2. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein said titanium compound is titanium. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein said titanium compound is titanium hydride. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein said non-carbon material comprises a manganese compound having a formula MnH w B x N y O z , wherein w=0 to 4, x=0 to 2, y=0 to 1, and z=0 to 2. 
     
     
         11 . The sensor according to  claim 10 , wherein said manganese compound is manganese. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein said non-carbon material comprises iron. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein said non-carbon material comprises cobalt. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein said non-carbon material comprises nickel. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein said non-carbon material comprises palladium. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein said non-carbon material comprises platinum. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said carbon nanotube is further coated with a second non-carbon material. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 17 , wherein said second non-carbon material comprises a second titanium compound, zirconium, zirconium hydride, hafnium, hafnium hydride, vanadium, vanadium hydride, a second manganese compound, iron, iron hydride, cobalt, cobalt hydride, nickel, nickel hydride, palladium, palladium hydride, platinum, platinum hydride, copper, copper hydride, zinc, zinc hydride, or the combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 17 , wherein said second non-carbon material comprises the second titanium compound, the second manganese compound, iron, cobalt, nickel, palladium, platinum, or the combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the said analyte gas is nitrogen oxide, ethanol vapor, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, or oxygen. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more sensors each comprising a carbon nanotube or a filled carbon nanotube,   one or more analysis units connected to the one or more sensors respectively,   wherein the one or more analysis units detect or determine the concentrations of the analyte gas and one or more analyte gases in a background gas by measuring the Electronic Property Response of the one or more sensors due to the analyte gases,   wherein each sensor provides a different Electronic Property Response.   
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 21 , wherein the filled carbon nanotube of the one or more sensors is filled with one or more non-carbon materials comprising a titanium compound, zirconium, zirconium hydride, hafnium, hafnium hydride, vanadium, vanadium hydride, a manganese compound, iron, iron hydride, cobalt, cobalt hydride, nickel, nickel hydride, palladium, palladium hydride, platinum, platinum hydride, copper, copper hydride, zinc, zinc hydride, or the combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The device according to  claim 21 , wherein the carbon nanotube or the filled carbon nanotube of the one or more sensors is coated with a second non-carbon material.