This hydrogen gas sensor is comprised of a porous substrate having a novel nanowire network of a palladium (Pd) composition deposited thereon. The nanowire networks are created by depositing desired Pd composition on porous substrates with widths of the sections between holes less than 20 nm. When the hydrogen sensor is exposed to an environment, the resistivity of the Pd nanowire changes based on the presence of hydrogen in the environment. The hydrogen sensor can transmit the amount of hydrogen detected to a display, to a computer data processor, or transmitted to a program to perform a certain operation upon the detection of hydrogen.
Suggested Uses
Safety sensors in hydrogen powered cars; lead (Pb) acid batteries; personnel monitors and other places where hydrogen is present and requires detection
Advantages
These novel nanowire networks have the advantages of individual nanowires and nanocluster chains but without the associated high fabrication cost. Several types of palladium compositions can be used for the ultra-small nanowires and nanoclusters. The porous substrates can be commercially available filtration membranes (preferable) or they can be manufactured as desired. The porous substrate adds potential for flexibility of sensors if needed. The deposition of the Pd composition can be performed with any thin-film deposition technique known in the art, for example, sputtering, thermal evaporation, or electron-beam evaporation. The nanowires can be as-prepared or annealed at high temperatures up to 800 degrees Celsius in various gas environments.The ultra-small (<20 nm) thicknesses and widths of the nanowires which form the network reduce the hydrogen diffusion time, resulting in a short response time of the sensor. The hydrogen response time of these networks can be as low as tens of milliseconds. Thin-film deposition techniques can be utilized to deposit the Pd and other Pd compositions for forming the nanowire networks which have the advantage of single nanowires, leading to cost-effective fabrication of the sensor. The sensor is more reliable because it consists of many conducting paths in parallel. Thus, this hydrogen sensor is a high speed sensor that is able to work at room temperature, is inexpensive and also can be small size and low power consumption.
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