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Seeing Hydrogen in Colors: Low‐Cost and Highly Sensitive Eye Readable Hydrogen Detectors
Author(s) -
Ngene Peter,
Radeva Tsveta,
Slaman Martin,
Westerwaal Ruud J.,
Schreuders Herman,
Dam Bernard
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201303065
Subject(s) - detector , hydrogen , materials science , optoelectronics , electronics , interference (communication) , hydrogen sensor , nanotechnology , optics , computer science , telecommunications , catalysis , electrical engineering , chemistry , physics , palladium , channel (broadcasting) , biochemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
There is a great interest in the development of reliable and low‐cost hydrogen sensors for applications in the hydrogen economy, industrial processes, space application, detection of environmental pollution, and biomedical applications. Here, a new type of optical detector that indicates the presence of hydrogen in concentration range 5 ppm to 0.1 vol% H 2 merely by a reversible and tunable color change is reported. The device takes advantage of the reversible change in optical properties of a Pd‐capped Y thin film upon exposure to H 2 , while the color is tuned using the interference of light reflected between the Y and Pd layers. In this way, an eye‐readable optical sensor that circumvents the need for electronics and external digital readouts is created. Using surface modifications, the performance of the H 2 detector in humid and oxygen rich environment is greatly improved. Therefore, the device has the potential to be used for chemical and also biochemical/biomedical H 2 sensing applications such as breathe hydrogen tests.