Hydrogen is assuming a greater role as an energy source to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, but its flammable nature raises safety concerns. A new sensor engineered by researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia), Institute of Technology Kharagpur (India), National Technical University of Athens (Greece) and University of Manchester (U.K.) represents an efficient way to detect trace amounts of the colorless and odorless gas in mere seconds.
The sensor is designed with platinum electrodes and a thin layer of an organic polymeric semiconductor deposited on top by spin-coating or printing. The device described in Nature Electronics operates according to p-doping technology, where oxygen molecules increase the concentration of positive electrical charges in the active material. When hydrogen is present, it reacts with the oxygen, reversing this effect and causing a rapid drop in electrical current. This change is both fast and reversible, even at room temperature up to 120° C.
When applied to detect leaks from pipes, monitor hydrogen diffusion in closed rooms following an abrupt release and identify airborne leaks via drones, the sensor proved faster than portable commercial detectors. The fast response time was clocked at less than one second, as was a low detection limit of 192 ppb.
