Gas Sensing Based on a Nonlinear Response: Discrimination between Hydrocarbons and Quantification of Individual Components in a Gas Mixture

S Nakata; S Akakabe; M Nakasuji; K Yoshikawa

doi:10.1021/ac9510954

Gas Sensing Based on a Nonlinear Response: Discrimination between Hydrocarbons and Quantification of Individual Components in a Gas Mixture

Anal Chem. 1996 Jul 1;68(13):2067-72. doi: 10.1021/ac9510954.

Authors

S Nakata¹, S Akakabe, M Nakasuji, K Yoshikawa

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, Nara University of Education, Takabatake-cho, Nara 630, Japan, and Graduate School of Human Informatics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-01, Japan.

PMID: 21619295
DOI: 10.1021/ac9510954

Abstract

A novel sensing system is proposed based on the multidimensional information contained in a dynamic nonlinear response. A sinusoidal temperature change was applied to a SnO(2) semiconductor gas sensor, and the resulting output conductance of the sensor was analyzed by fast Fourier transformation (FFT). The higher harmonics of the FFT characterized the nonlinear properties of the response. The amplitudes of the higher harmonics of the FFT exhibit characteristic changes which depend on the chemical structure, concentration, and the kinetics of adsorption and the reaction of hydrocarbon gases and aromatic vapors on the sensor surface. In addition, it is possible to distinguish between gases in a gaseous mixture with a single detector using this dynamic nonlinear response. Nonlinear responses are discussed in relation to the kinetics of the reaction at the sensor surface and the temperature-dependent barrier potential of the semiconductor.