Sensor application

The development of highly selective chemical sensors for complex matrixes of medical, environmental, and industrial interest has been the object of greate research efforts in the last years. Recently, the use of artificial materials - molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) - with high recognition properties has been proposed for designing biomimetic sensors, but only a few sensor applications of MIPs based on electrosynythesized conductive polymers (MIEPs) have been reported [1-3]. 

T. Arakawa, A. Saito, and J. Shiokawa, Surface study of a Ag electrode on a solid electrolyte used as oxygen sensor, Applications of Surface Science 16, 365-372 (1983). 

Apart from transistor-like devices, single-electron junctions can also be useful for sensor applications. The simplest one might be the monitoring of H2S. Since the formation of CdS nanogranules takes place when an initial cadmium arachidate layer is exposed to this gas, we can expect the appearance of single-electron conductivity only when it is present in the atmosphere. 

Other sensor applications can be considered if some sensitive biological molecules (such as antibodies or receptors) are attached to the nanogranule. If, for example, an antibody molecule is attached to it, then the granule is placed between two electrodes, and single-electron current flows between them. The step value of the coulomb staircase depends on the capacity of the junctions. When the antibody molecule binds specific antigen, the capacity value will be changed, and, therefore, the step value of the VH characteristics will also change. 

Nanosize particles (e.g., metals, semiconductors, etc.) are of continuing interest because they possess fascinating catalytic, electronic, and optical properties. Larger particles decorated with smaller nanoparticles on their surface are of interest because of their potential use as heterogeneous catalysts and their relevance in electronic and optical sensor applications as well as surface-enhanced Raman scattering [39,72-75]. 

The initial hurdle to overcome in the biosensor application of a nucleic acid is that involving its stable attachment on a transducing element which commonly includes a metallic electrode. In the first part of this chapter, we wish to introduce our approach for DNA immobilization (Scheme 1). A detailed characterization of the immobilization chemistry is also presented. In the second part, we follow the development of work from our laboratory on chemical sensor applications of the DNA-modified electrode involving a biosensor for DNA-binding molecules and an electrochemical gene sensor. 

Production of sensitive elements of sensors. Application of sensors to detect active particles... 

Another methodical trait of the Au/ZnO sensor application to detect metastable atoms of rare gases is the limitation of the range of operating temperatures. When heated to above 500 K, these sensors irreversibly loose their sensitivity to RGMAs. The loss of sensitivity is associated with the coalescence of Au microcrystals applied to a ZnO surface. The causes of this will be discussed later. 

Nanohybrids of biomolecules and mesoporous materials have also been used for sensor application. Lin and coworkers also demonstrated gate-controlled molecular... 

Guizard, C., Bac, A., Barboiu, M. and Hovnanaian, N. (2000) Organic-inorganic hybrid materials with specific solute and gas transport properties for membrane and sensors applications. Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 354, 91-106. 

Culshaw B and Dakin J., Optical fiber sensors Applications, analysis, and future trends, Vol.4, Boston - London Artech House, 1997. 

Special optical fibres have been intensively investigated during recent years because of their potential wide-range use for on-line monitoring of material properties or processes in a number of areas of human activity (environment protection, food industry, medicine etc.) Their technology can be considered an integral part of the team-work on optical fibre sensors development. Despite special optical fibres represent a unique and often indispensable tool for a variety of sensor applications, special fibre production still represents only a small fraction of the market. Probably it is because of their low consumption (in comparison with standard telecommunication fibres), the need for much more advanced know-how and lower reproducibility. 

Saggese S.J., Harrington J.A., Sigel G.H., Hollow waveguides for sensor applications, Proc. SPIE 1368 (1990), San Jose, pp.2-14. 

As this chapter aims at explaining the basics, operational principles, advantages and pitfalls of vibrational spectroscopic sensors, some topics have been simplified or omitted altogether, especially when involving abstract theoretical or complex mathematical models. The same applies to methods having no direct impact on sensor applications. For a deeper introduction into theory, instrumentation and related experimental methods, comprehensive surveys can be found in any good textbook on vibrational spectroscopy or instrumental analytical chemistry1"4. 

A hollow waveguide (HWG) is essentially a hollow tube that transports light from one end to the other either by multiple mirror reflection or by total internal reflection. The hollow structure gives them several advantages (i) a high power threshold, (ii) low insertion losses, (iii) no end reflections, (iv) a small beam divergence, (v) robustness and - especially important for sensor applications - (vi) a wide spectral transmission range. 

For trace analysis in fluids, some Raman sensors (try to) make use of the SERS effect to increase their sensitivity. While the basic sensor layout for SERS sensors is similar to non-enhanced Raman sensors, somehow the metal particles have to be added. Other than in the laboratory, where the necessary metal particles can be added as colloidal solution to the sample, for sensor applications the particles must be suitably immobilised. In most cases, this is achieved by depositing the metal particles onto the surfaces of the excitation waveguide or the interface window and covering them with a suitable protection layer. The additional layer is required as otherwise washout effects or chemical reactions between e.g. sulphur-compounds and the particles reduce the enhancement effect. Alternatively, it is also possible to disperse the metal particles in the layer material before coating and apply them in one step with the coating. Suitable protection or matrix materials for SERS substrates could be e.g. sol-gel layers or polymer coatings. In either... 

The sol-gel process allows the preparation of glass films into which indicator chemistry can be incorporated. The production of ceramic materials and glassy networks is based on the polymerisation of suitable precursors at low temperature. The increasing popularity of sol-gels in sensor applications results from the processing versatility2. 

Enzyme-based optical sensor applications will be further described in this book. They are still the most widespread optical biosensors but work is needed to overcome limitations such as shelf life, long term stability, in situ measurements, miniaturization, and the marketing of competitive devices. 

The physical and chemical properties of MgO films prepared by the sol-gel technique were the area interest of the examinations presented by Shukla75. The aim of mentioned work was to produce films with nano size particles so as to employ them for the sensor applications, as adsorption in such films increases many folds due to the increase of surface area. Infra-red spectroscopic studies indicated the presence of solvent in the precursor, which helped in decomposition to nano-particles during nucleation of the film. The MgO sol-gel films were deposited on the glass rod bend in U-shape for humidity sensor. 

McDonagh C., Bowe P., Mongey K., MacCraith B., Characterisation of porosity and sensor response times of sol-gel-derived thin films for oxygen sensor applications, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 2002 306 138-148. 

Durability of Sensor Properties With Respect to the Sensor Application... 

Dioctyl sebacate (DOS) with relative permittivity e of 3.9 and 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) with e = 23.9 are the traditionally used sensor membrane plasticizers. The choice of a plasticizer always depends on a sensor application. Thus, NPOE appears to be more beneficial for divalent ions due to its higher polarity, but for some cases its lipophilicity is insufficient. Furthermore, measurements with NPOE-plasticized sensors in undiluted blood are complicated by precipitation of charged species (mainly proteins) on the sensor surface, which leads to significant potential drifts. Although calcium selectivity against sodium and potassium for NPOE-based membranes is better by two orders of magnitude compared to DOS membranes, the latter are recommended for blood measurements as their lower polarity prevents protein deposition [92],... 

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