Methane-oxygen electrochemical coupling in an ionic liquid: a robust sensor for simultaneous quantification (original) (raw)

Miniaturized planar room temperature ionic liquid electrochemical gas sensor for rapid multiple gas pollutants monitoring

Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2017

The growing impact of airborne pollutants and explosive gases on human health and occupational safety has escalated the demand of sensors to monitor hazardous gases. This paper presents a new miniaturized planar electrochemical gas sensor for rapid measurement of multiple gaseous hazards. The gas sensor features a porous polytetrafluoroethylene substrate that enables fast gas diffusion and room temperature ionic liquid as the electrolyte. Metal sputtering was utilized for platinum electrodes fabrication to enhance adhesion between the electrodes and the substrate. Together with carefully selected electrochemical methods, the miniaturized gas sensor is capable of measuring multiple gases including oxygen, methane, ozone and sulfur dioxide that are important to human health and safety. Compared to its manually-assembled Clark-cell predecessor, this sensor provides better sensitivity, linearity and repeatability, as validated for oxygen monitoring. With solid performance, fast response and miniaturized size, this sensor is promising for deployment in wearable devices for real-time point-of-exposure gas pollutant monitoring.

Towards improving the robustness of electrochemical gas sensors: impact of PMMA addition on the sensing of oxygen in an ionic liquid

The electrochemical reduction of oxygen (O 2) has been studied on commercially-available integrated Pt thin-film electrodes (TFEs). Chemically reversible (but electrochemically quasi-reversible) cyclic voltammetry was observed in the room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C 2 mim][NTf 2 ]), showing superior behaviour of TFEs compared to screen-printed electrodes for oxygen sensing. As a step towards the preparation of robust gas sensors, the RTIL was mechanically stabilised on the TFE surface by the addition of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). At a PMMA concentration in the RTIL of ca. 50% mass, electrolyte flow was not evident. O 2 reduction peak currents were found to decrease systematically with increasing PMMA content, reflecting the higher viscosity of the electrolyte medium. Linear calibration graphs were obtained for 0–100% vol. oxygen at all PMMA–RTIL mixtures studied. The sensitivities decreased as [PMMA] increased, but the limits of detection were relatively unchanged. Mechanical stability of the sensors was tested in different orientations (flat, upside down, sideways) with both the neat RTIL and 50% mass electrolyte. Whilst the electrochemical responses were dramatically changed for the neat RTIL, the responses in the PMMA– RTIL mixture were independent of electrode orientation. Additionally, the oxygen response in the PMMA–RTIL mixture was less affected by atmospheric impurities and moisture, compared to the neat RTIL. This suggests that these low-cost miniaturised devices can successfully be used for oxygen sensing applications in field situations, especially where portability is essential.

Electrochemical Sensing of Oxygen Gas in Ionic Liquids

The work presented in this thesis aimed to investigate the potentiality of screen printed electrodes (SPEs), when used in conjunction with non-volatile room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), for the amperometric sensing of gases. O 2 was selected as the model gas for these studies. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry techniques were employed for these investigations. Experiments were conducted with an inert background atmosphere of N 2 gas.

Rapid Measurement of Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Electrochemical Gas Sensor using Transient Double Potential Amperometry

Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical, 2017

Intense study on gas sensors has been conducted to implement fast gas sensing with high sensitivity, reliability and long lifetime. This paper presents a rapid amperometric method for gas sensing based on a room temperature ionic liquid electrochemical gas sensor. To implement a miniaturized sensor with a fast response time, a three electrode system with gold interdigitated electrodes was fabricated by photolithography on a porous polytetrafluoroethylene substrate that greatly enhances gas diffusion. Furthermore, based on the reversible reaction of oxygen, a new transient double potential amperometry (DPA) was explored for electrochemical analysis to decrease the measurement time and reverse reaction by-products that could cause current drift. Parameters in transient DPA including oxidation potential, oxidation period, reduction period and sample point were investigated to study their influence on the performance of the sensor. Oxygen measurement could be accomplished in 4 s, and th...

A Novel Amperometric O2 Gas Sensor Based on Supported Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid Porous Polyethylene Membrane-Coated Electrodes

Electroanalysis, 2004

A novel solid-state amperometric O 2 gas sensor based on the supported 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIBF 4) porous polyethylene membrane-coated electrodes has been proposed with its characterization. By electrochemical impedance technique, the ionic conductivity of the supported EMIBF 4 membrane was estimated to be ca. 0.6 S m À1 , indicating that the supported EMIBF 4 membrane (the thickness: 50 mm) can be used as a solid state ionic conductor at room temperature. The cyclic voltammograms obtained for the one-electron redox reaction of O 2 / O 2 À. (O 2 À. : superoxide ion) couple at high scan rates (> 100 mV s À1) showed a couple of usual redox peaks, while at low scan rates (< 30 mV s À1) S-shaped steady-state voltammograms similar to those obtained by rotating disk voltammetry were obtained. These results were explained on the basis of the mass transport of O 2 at the supported EMIBF 4 membrane-coated electrode system. The transient and steady-state reduction currents for the reduction of O 2 to O 2 À. as well as the transient oxidation current for the reoxidation of O 2 À. to O 2 , which were obtained by potentialstep chronoamperometry, could be used to measure the change of O 2 concentration in O 2-N 2 mixed gas stream. The present O 2 gas sensor demonstrated a wide detection range, a high sensitivity and an excellent reproducibility.

Solid state ionic devices for combustion gas sensing

Solid state ionics, 2004

We have performed extensive research on the development of new types of solid state combustion gas sensors over the last decade. The combination of new electrode materials, insights from sensor studies equipped with auxiliary reference electrodes, heterogeneous catalysis measurements and theoretical analysis has enabled the development of novel gas sensors at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The substitution of electronic conducting oxides for Pt electrodes has extended the applications of Nernstian-type zirconia oxygen sensors to high temperatures N900 8C and high sulfur environments. Novel sensor geometries that allow for gas diffusion through a porous electrolyte to a dense electrode improve the performance of mixed potential type sensors. We have also developed porous electrolyte potentiometric sensors that detect non-methane hydrocarbon gases in exhaust streams. D

Amperometric Gas Detection Using Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Solvents

2010

The electrochemistry of various gases, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) is reviewed. The application of RTILs to gas sensor design and development is highlighted. http://link.aip.org/link/ECSTF8/v33/i7/p473/s1

?-Sensors: A new concept for advanced solid-state ionic gas sensors

Applied Physics A Solids and Surfaces, 1992

A new principle of solid state electrochemical sensors based on the kinetics of controlled chemical reactions of the gas with the electroactive species of a solid electrolyte is presented and demonstrated for the measurement of CO2 partial pressures. The reaction may be for many gases modified by the formation of intermediate product phases.

Electrochemical ammonia gas sensing in nonaqueous systems: A comparison of propylene carbonate with room temperature ionic liquids

First, the direct and indirect electrochemical oxidation of ammonia has been studied by cyclic voltammetry at glassy carbon electrodes in propylene carbonate. In the case of the indirect oxidation of ammonia, its analytical utility of indirect for ammonia sensing was examined in the range from 10 and 100 ppm by measuring the peak current of new wave resulting from reaction between ammonia and hydroquinone, as function of ammonia concentration, giving a sensitivity 1.29 x 10(-7) A ppm(-1) (r(2)=0.999) and limit-of-detection 5 ppm ammonia. Further, the direct oxidation of ammonia has been investigated in several room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), namely 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C(4)mim] [BF4]), 1-butyl-3-methylimiclazolium trifluoromethylsulfonate ([C4mim] [OTf]), 1-Ethyl -3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C(2)mim] [NTf2]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(tritluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C4mim] [NTf2]) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C4mim] [PF6]) on a 10 put diameter Pt microdisk electrode. In four of the RTILs studied, the cyclic voltammetric analysis suggests that ammonia is initially oxidized to nitrogen, N-2, and protons, which are transferred to an ammonia molecule, forming NH4+ via the protonation of the anion(s) (A(-)). However, in [C4mim] [PF6], the protonated anion was formed first, followed by NH4+. In all five RTILs, both HA and NH4+ are reduced at the electrode surface, forming hydrogen gas, which is then oxidized. The analytical ability of this work has also been explored further, giving a limit-of-detection close to 50 ppm in [C(2)mim] [NTf2], [C(4)mim] [OTf], [C(4)mim] [BF4], with a sensitivity of ca. 6 x 10(-7) A ppm(-1) (r(2) = 0.999) for all three ionic liquids, showing that the limit of detection was ca. ten times larger than that in propylene carbonate since ammonia in propylene carbonate might be more soluble in comparison with RTILs when considering the higher viscosity of RTILs. http://dx.doi.org/DOI:10.1002/elan.200703997