RESUMEN
Laser-deposited carbon aerogel is a low-density porous network of carbon clusters synthesized using a laser process. A one-step synthesis, involving deposition and annealing, results in the formation of a thin porous conductive film which can be applied as a chemiresistor. This material is sensitive to NO2 compared to ammonia and other volatile organic compounds and is able to detect ultra-low concentrations down to at least 10 parts-per-billion. The sensing mechanism, based on the solubility of NO2 in the water layer adsorbed on the aerogel, increases the usability of the sensor in practically relevant ambient environments. A heating step, achieved in tandem with a microheater, allows the recovery to the baseline, making it operable in real world environments. This, in combination with its low cost and scalable production, makes it promising for Internet-of-Things air quality monitoring.
RESUMEN
Recent advances in the large-scale production of graphene have led to the availability of solution-processable platelets on the commercial scale. Langmuir-Schaefer deposition is a scalable process for forming a percolating film of graphene platelets, which can be used for electronic gas sensing. Here, we demonstrate the use of this deposition method to produce functional gas sensors, using a chemiresistor structure from commercially available graphene dispersions. The sensitivity of the devices and the repeatability of the electrical response upon gas exposure have been characterized. Raman spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy show doping of the basal plane using ammonia (n-dopant) and acetone (p-dopant). The resistive signal is increased upon exposure to both gases, showing that sensing originates from the change in the contact resistance between nanosheets. We demonstrate that Arrhenius fitting of desorption response potentially allows measurements of desorption process activation energies for gas molecules adsorbed onto the graphene nanosheets.
RESUMEN
Carbon nanofoam (CNF) is a highly porous, amorphous carbon nanomaterial that can be produced through the interaction of a high-fluence laser and a carbon-based target material. The morphology and electrical properties of CNF make it an ideal candidate for supercapacitor applications. In this paper, we prepare and characterize CNF supercapacitor electrodes through two different processes, namely, a direct process and a water-transfer process. We elucidate the influence of the production process on the microstructural properties of the CNF, as well as the final electrochemical performance. We show that a change in morphology due to capillary forces doubles the specific capacitance of the wet-transferred CNF electrodes.
