This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will investigate the feasibility of employing novel conducting polymers (e.g. poly 3,4-diphenylpyrrole) to prepare solid state gas sensors. The proposed sensor will be low cost and selective to a specific class of chemical compounds, namely chlorinated hydrocarbons. The proposed sensor will also be capable of operating at room temperature, thus eliminating the need for significant power consumption and making the development of small, selective, low-cost, and portable detectors feasible. This project will demonstrate the feasibility of preparing solid-state gas sensors based upon this material. Variations in materials chemistry, including monomer composition and dopant ion, will be used to develop sensors that are highly stable, sensitive, and selective to chlorinated hydrocarbons. This sensor technology will complement Nanomaterials Research's existing product line by continuing the development of low cost sensor technologies that provide unique commercial advantages. The proposed sensor will be marketed to companies who manufacture instrumentation for health and safety, environmental monitoring and process control applications.
