Ceramics-based chemical sensors

Ceramic chemical sensors fall into two broad categories, namely those that exploit solid electrolytes and those that exploit electronic conductors. In all cases the sensors respond to changes in the chemical environment. The operational principles and typical applications are described below. 

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O., Ramamoorthy, R., Midlam-Mohler, S.. Soliman, A., Verweij, H., Dutta, P. and Akbar, S. (2003) Ceramic-based chemical sensors, probes and field-tests in automobile engines./. Mater. Sci., 38 (21), 4239-15. 

Azad A-M, Hammond M. Fine-tuning of ceramic-based chemical sensors via novel microstructural modification. I Low level CO sensing by tungsten oxide, WO3. Sens Actuators, B 2006 119 384-91. 

Solid-state electrochemistry, as a subsection of electrochemistry, emphasizes phenomena in which the properties of sohds play a dominant role. This includes phenomena involving ionically and/or electronically conducting phases (e.g., in potentiometric or conductometric chemical sensors). As far as classical electrochemical cells are concerned, one refers not only to all-solid-state cells with sohd electrolytes (e.g., ceramic fuel cells), but also to cells with hquid electrolytes, such as modern Li-based batteries in which the storage within the sohd electrode is crucial [1-3]. 

Kubinski, D.J., Visser, J.H., Soltis, R.E., Parsons, M.H., Nietering, K.E. and Ejakov, S.G. (2002) Zirconia based potentiometric NOx sensor utilizing Pt and Au electrodes. Ceram. Trans., 130 (Chemical Sensors for Hostile Environments), 11-18. 

Schierbaum K. D., Weimar U., and Gopel W., Comparison of ceramic thick-film and thin-film chemical sensors based upon Sn02, Sens. Actuators B, 7, 709-716, 1992. 

OzaM Y, Suzuki S, Morimitsu M, Matsunaga M (2000) Enhanced long-term stability of SnO -based CO gas sensors modified by sulfuric acid treatment. Sens Actuators B Chem 62 220-225 Panchapakesan B, DeVoe DL, Widmaier MR, Cavicchi R, Steve SS (2001) Nanoparticle engineering and control of tin oxide microstructures for chemical microsensor applications. Nanotechnology 12 336-349 Papadopoulos CA, Vlachos DS, Avaritsiotis JN (1997) Effect of surface catalysts on the long-term performance of reactively sputtered tin and indium oxide gas sensors. Sens Actuators B Chem 42 95-101 Park CO, Akbar SA (2003) Ceramics for chemical sensing. J Mater Sci 38 4611-4637... 

Huczko A (2000) Template-based synthesis of nanomaterials. Appl Phys A 70 365-376 Ihokura K, Watson J (1994) The stannic oxide Gas sensor principle and application. CRC, Boca Raton, EL Ivanovskaya M (2000) Ceramic and film metal oxide sensors obtained by sol-gel method structural features and gas-sensitive properties. Electron Technol 33(1/2) 108-112 Janata J (1989) Principle of chemical sensors. Plenum, New York, NY... 

Mettler Toledo (Mettler) now markets the DSC 1 unit, but at the time that this instrumental brief was written, marketed only the DSC823 (its design is further discussed in Section 2.3, The Basics of Differential Scanning Calorimetry). For both units, Mettler now offers a two-sensor option based on a thermopile construction embedded in a chemically inert and corrosion resistant ceramic material. The sensors differ structurally in their design, although the primary difference is the number of thermocouples incorporated into each thermopile. The performance specifications are given in Table 2.8. 

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