Robust device relies on innovative polymer.
Hydrogen is a clean-burning fuel that could help to replace fossil fuels in transportation, the chemicals industry, and many other sectors. However, hydrogen is also an explosive gas, so it is essential to have safety systems that can reliably detect leaks in a variety of circumstances.
KAUST researchers have invented a robust, highly sensitive, low-cost hydrogen sensor that outperforms commercial detectors, offering a vital safeguard for the burgeoning hydrogen economy[1].
“Conventional hydrogen sensors face several limitations,” explains Suman Mandal of the Physical Science and Engineering Division at KAUST, a member of the team behind the work. “These sensors often respond slowly to hydrogen leaks, cannot detect trace levels of hydrogen, and must be heated during operation, for example.”
The researchers have overcome these problems using a semiconducting polymer called DPP-DTT, which they coated onto a pair of platinum electrodes. Exposure to hydrogen reduced the current flowing through the device by up to 10,000 times, offering a powerful detection signal, with the drop in current corresponding to the concentration of hydrogen.
“This high responsivity ensures rapid and precise detection of gas leaks, which is essential for safety in industrial and transportation sectors,” says Mandal.
Read more at KAUST Discovery.