The investigation and development of gas sensors with carbon nanomaterials

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this research the possible utilization of carbon nanomaterials in gas sensingapplications are investigated. These materials include the 2-dimensionalhoneycomb-lattice carbon structure called graphene, and the 1-dimensional structuresreferred to as carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The extraordinary properties andunique morphology of these nanomaterials, make them excellent candidates forsensory applications. This research thus entails the investigation and developmentof gas sensors with these carbon nanomaterials. This includes the synthesisof CNTs via a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique and the fabricationof resistive thin film sensors with the various materials. The functionalizationof carbon nanomaterials is also explored, which delivers promising results forsensing gases at room temperature, especially acetylene (C2H2). Furthermore, aunique method is developed to fabricate ultra thin aluminium microstructures.These metallic electrodes are found to be ideal for nanomaterial integration. Anexperiment is performed to manufacture an integrated sensor with MWCNTsand following the results, a refinement of the procedure and the investigation ofFET-based devices are recommended. The results obtained during this work,indicate that engineered carbon nanostructures, such as CNTs and graphene, canpotentially be applied in future sensing technologies.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University