Metal Oxide Functionalized carbon nanostrUctures for photonic gas Sensors

Project Information

MOFUS

Grant agreement ID: 795356

DOI

10.3030/795356

Project closed

EC signature date 13 April 2018

Start date 1 September 2018

End date 6 September 2020

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 195 454,80

EU contribution

€ 195 454,80

Coordinated by

ASTON UNIVERSITY
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MOFUS (Metal Oxide Functionalized carbon nanostrUctures for photonic gas Sensors)

Reporting period: 2018-09-01 to 2020-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Through MOFUS project, we have successfully developed unique synthesis protocols for the acid functionalization of single walled carbon nanotubes. Interestingly, the acid functionalised ultrashort SWCNTs shows excellent solubility/diersibility in almost all organic and aqueous solvents. Typically, oxidation of SWCNTs leads a complete loss of intrinsic optical properties. We have optimized synthesis temperature for carboxylated ultra short SWCNTs to retain its intrinsic optical properties. The developed product of acid functionalized SWCNTs with partially/completely retained optical properties through MOFUS project not only limited with gas sensing application but also could be unique for biomedical sensors. Dispersion of SWCNTs in polymer matrix is potential for ultrafast high power laser technology. Moreover, there is big demand in the increased concentration of SWCNTs in polymer matrix for telecom network, EM shielding, sensing and energy conversion applications. Therefore, the acid functionalized SWCNTs is highly beneficial for materials, physics, chemistry and engineering community. The overall objectives is to combine metal and metal oxide to the functionalized SWCNTs, transferred to planar waveguides and d-shaped optical fibre for localized surface plasmonic sensors. Metal oxides, such as ZnO, SnO and TiO2 and metals, such as Au and Ag used for the functionalization and developed sensor platform for sensing ammonia, CO2 and other alkane, such as methane and ethane gaseous targets.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In the execution of the project, the MOFUS team actively involved in series of experimental research related to the SWCNTs dispersion, surface functionalization, polymer-SWCNTs nanocomposites, metal oxide synthesis and functionalization with SWCNTs. Atomic layer deposition of metal oxides on SWCNTs. The materials were systematically characterized using electron microscopy, Raman, optical absorption, photoluminescence-excitation (PLE) mapping for the effective transformation of the sensor platform, such as planar waveguides platform and d-shaped LSPR sensors. Finally, we developed advance photonic sensors using metal oxide functionalized SWCNTs on planar waveguides and d-shaped optical fibres for testing.

Exploitation and Dissemination: We exploited and disseminated our results in the following reputed conferences and reputed journals.

1. C. M. Raghavan, S. A. Alekseev, D. M. Korytko, A. Rozhin, Optical properties of carboxylated ultrashort single walled carbon nanotubes and metal oxide functionalization, 30th International Conference on Diamond and Carbon Materials (DIAM 2019), 8-12 September 2019, Seville, Spain.
2. C. M. Raghavan, S. A. Alekseev, D. M. Korytko, A. Rozhin, Optical properties of Mild and Strongly Oxidized Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes , 9th FORUM ON NEW MATERIALS, CIMTEC 2020, Montecatini Terme, Italy June 20-23, 2020 ( Accepted for Presentation, Rescheduled due to COVID 19 pandemic).
3. P.K. Roy, R.K. Ulaganathan, C.M. Raghavan, S.M. Mhatre, H.-I. Lin, W.-L. Chen, Y.-M. Chang, A. Rozhin, Y.-T. Hsu, Y.-F. Chen, R. Sankar, F.-C. Chou, C.-T. Liang, Unprecedented random lasing in 2D organolead halide single-crystalline perovskite microrods, Nanoscale, 12 (2020) 18269-18277.
4. U. Rajesh Kumar, R. Sankar, C. Y. Lin, C. M. Raghavan, K. Tang K, F. C. Chou, High‐Performance Flexible Broadband Photodetectors Based on 2D Hafnium Selenosulfide Nanosheets, Adv. Electron. Mater. 6 (2020)1900794.
5. G Balakrishnan, Arun Kumar Panda, CM Raghavan, Akash Singh, MN Prabhakar, E Mohandas, P Kuppusami, Jung il Song, Microstructure, optical and dielectric properties of cerium oxide thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition, J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron.30 (2019) 16548-16553.
6. C. M. Raghavan, S. A. Alekseev, D. M. Korytko, A. Rozhin, Retained Intrinsic Optical Properties of Carboxylated Ultrashort Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Nanoscale 2020 (Under Consideration).
7. Optical properties of PVA-SWCNTs nanocomposites-Probing New Chiralities for Telecommunication applications, APL Photonics (under preparation)

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

One of the major limitations in the commercialization of the state-of-the-art hybrid LSPR sensor and planar waveguide based sensors is its low selectivity, which typically occurred due to the interference of different gaseous species at a time. Semiconducting metal oxides, such as ZnO, SnO2, and TiO2 functionalized carbon nanotubes extensively studied for gas sensing applications because of their high selectivity and stability. However, the current state-of–the-art in MO functionalised SWCNTs gas sensing has been carried out only by monitoring the changes in the electrical properties (FET sensors). The hybrid LSP-carbon nanotubes sensors (it was developed earlier in our lab) has weak interaction of chemical molecules due to high inertness of carbon nanotubes limits their sensor performance. Through MOFUS project, we integrated MO-SWCNTs with LSP and planar waveguides sensing platform for detecting specific toxic gaseous species with high selectivity and sensitivity in complex environment. The MO functionalized SWCNTs LSP and planar waveguide sensors device is cost effective and can be employed not only for the gaseous species also other toxic chemicals, biomedical waste and warfare agents.

TEM image of dispersed SWCNTs (SG 65) and PLE mapping of raw and Ag factionalized SWCNTs