Indian scientists develop electronic nose to detect Hydrogen Sulphide from sewers

Science    15-Apr-2021
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New Delhi, April 15: In the major development, Indian scientists have developed an electronic nose with biodegradable polymer and monomer that can detect hydrogen sulphide a poisonous, corrosive, and flammable gas produced from swamps and sewers.
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Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is the primary gas produced from the microbial breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, and this necessitates easy detection of its emission from sewers and swamps.
 
Responding to this challenge, scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore, an autonomous institute of the DST, Government of India, in collaboration with their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, have developed an exceptionally sensitive and selective H2S Gas sensor developed by impersonating the neuron responsible for the identification of airborne molecules or olfactory receptor neuron (ORN).
 
 
 
 
The impersonation of ORN with the help of an organic electronic device consisting of biodegradable polymer and monomer under Dr. Channabasaveshwar Yelamaggad from CeNS and Prof Khaled N. Salama, Sensors lab, Advanced Membranes, and Porous Materials Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia has been published in the journals ‘Materials Horizon’ and ‘Advanced Electronic Materials’ recently.
 
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The capacitance sensor (a sensor that detects nearby objects by their effect on the electrical field created by the sensor) developed by the scientists showed an excellent sensitivity in detecting H2S gas with an experimental limit of detection of around 25 parts per billion. It also has high ambient stability of around eight months without compromising sensing performance.
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