This presentation describes a simple solvent-free procedure for rapid prototyping of selective chemiresistive gas and vapor sensors from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphite on the surface of paper.  This procedure enables fabrication of functional sensors from commercially available starting materials in less than 15 minutes, and overcomes several challenges associated with solvent-assisted chemical functionalization of CNTs and subsequent integration of these materials into devices.  Fabrication of sensors is operationally analogous to drawing with pencil on paper, and involves deposition of a conductive layer of sensing material on the surface of paper by mechanical abrasion of compressed powder of that material.  To modulate the chemical selectivity and sensitivity of the sensing material, we use solvent-free ball milling and subsequent compression to generate solid composites of nanostructured carbon (single-walled CNTs, multi-walled CNTs, graphite) with small molecules��selectors� � specifically selected to interact with designated gaseous analytes.  The resulting composites can be abraded onto the surface of paper to create cross-reactive arrays of sensors capable of detecting and differentiating a variety of analytes at part-per-million concentrations.

Rapid prototyping of selective carbon-based gas sensors by mechanical drawing on paper

246th National Meeting (2013)

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