Electronic nose to detect hydrogen sulphide

Scientists have developed an electronic nose with biodegradable polymer and monomer that can detect hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), a poisonous, corrosive, and flammable gas produced from swamps and sewers.

• H₂S is the primary gas produced from the microbial breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, and this necessitates easy detection of its emission from sewers and swamps.

• Responding to this challenge, scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, in collaboration with their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, have developed an exceptionally sensitive and selective H₂S Gas sensor developed by impersonating the neuron responsible for identification of airborne molecules or olfactory receptor neuron (ORN).

• The fabricated sensor consists of a heterostructure consisting of two layers – the top layer a monomer and is realized with a novel chemical tris (keto-hydrazone), which is both porous and contains H₂S specific functional groups, and the bottom layer is the active channel layer which plays a key role in altering the current and mobility of charge carriers.

(PIB)