Molecules with multiple personalities: How switchable materials could revolutionise chemical sensing

F. Benito-Lopez*, R. Byrne, Y. Wu, L. Nolan, J. Kim, K. T. Lau, G. G. Wallace, D. Diamond

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceedingConference Proceedingpeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Worldwide, the demand for sensing devices that can conform with the requirements of large-scale wireless sensor network (WSN) deployments is rising exponentially. Typically, sensors should be very low cost, low power (essentially self-sustaining), yet very rugged and reliable. At present, functioning WSN deployments involve physical transducers only, such as thermistors, accelerometers, photodetectors, or flow meters, to monitor quantities like temperature, movement, light level and liquid level/flow. Remote, widely distributed monitoring of molecular targets remains relatively unexplored, except in the case of targets that can be detected directly using 'non-contact' techniques like spectroscopy. This paper will address the issues inhibiting the close integration of chemical sensing with WSNs and suggest strategies based on fundamental materials science that may offer routes to new sensing surfaces that can switch between different modes of behaviour (e.g. active-passive, expand-contract).

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationECS Transactions - 35 Years of Chemical Sensors - An Honorary Symposium for Professor Jiri Janata's 70th Birthday Celebration
PublisherElectrochemical Society Inc.
Pages199-210
Number of pages12
Edition6
ISBN (Electronic)9781607680642
ISBN (Print)9781566777148
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes
Event35 Years of Chemical Sensors - An Honorary Symposium for Professor Jiri Janata's 70th Birthday Celebration - 215th ECS Meeting - San Francisco, CA, United States
Duration: 24 May 200929 May 2009

Publication series

NameECS Transactions
Number6
Volume19
ISSN (Print)1938-5862
ISSN (Electronic)1938-6737

Conference

Conference35 Years of Chemical Sensors - An Honorary Symposium for Professor Jiri Janata's 70th Birthday Celebration - 215th ECS Meeting
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Francisco, CA
Period24/05/0929/05/09

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