Citation

Bezdek MJ, Luo SXL, Ku KH, Swager TM. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2021; 118(2): e2022515118.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, National Academy of Sciences)

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2022515118

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A chemiresistive sensor is described for the detection of methane (CH(4)), a potent greenhouse gas that also poses an explosion hazard in air. The chemiresistor allows for the low-power, low-cost, and distributed sensing of CH(4) at room temperature in air with environmental implications for gas leak detection in homes, production facilities, and pipelines. Specifically, the chemiresistors are based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) noncovalently functionalized with poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) that enables the incorporation of a platinum-polyoxometalate (Pt-POM) CH(4) oxidation precatalyst into the sensor by P4VP coordination. The resulting SWCNT-P4VP-Pt-POM composite showed ppm-level sensitivity to CH(4) and good stability to air as well as time, wherein the generation of a high-valent platinum intermediate during CH(4) oxidation is proposed as the origin of the observed chemiresistive response. The chemiresistor was found to exhibit selectivity for CH(4) over heavier hydrocarbons such as n-hexane, benzene, toluene, and o-xylene, as well as gases, including carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The utility of the sensor in detecting CH(4) using a simple handheld multimeter was also demonstrated.

Language: en

Keywords

catalysis; chemiresistors; methane; selectors; sensor